Mating Fever
by Brigid the Fae
Summary: Inuyasha has a problem - it's mating season for youkai - and he's doing everything in his power to ignore the call. When the new moon comes and goes, Inuyasha is faced with two more problems, and they're both eyeing Kagome. Rated M for language and descriptive scenes. For the full story without the edited scenes in later chapters, look over at AO3. InuKag
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't know if this trope has been done a whole lot, but this idea came to me waaay back in March when I was working on a piece for InuKag Week, specifically the 'Jealousy' prompt. Sure, I could have done something with Koga or Hojo, but if there were any possibility of Inuyasha being more jealous, it'd be of his human and youkai sides. This is not a story that's meant to be taken seriously. It was a personal challenge to see just how smutty I could write a fic, because once upon a time I thought Lead Me Home would've had the dirties moments. **

**Not anymore.  
**

**The version you're reading here is a watered down version. If you want the full smut in later chapters, it will be on AO3 under the same name. But read it, enjoy it, I hope it makes you laugh. **

**I also want to thank the lovelies that volunteered as tribute to early-read over the chapters as I was writing them. If I hadn't put the request out on tumblr I might not have been compelled to finish the story and chickened out.**

* * *

"_It's been nearly three years. How long do you intend to ignore this?"_

'_I think I've done alright-'_

"_You won't for much longer, Hanyou."_

'_I didn't ask either of you-'_

"_That doesn't matter. You're going to reach the point of no return-"_

"_-and how are you going to explain to your friends what's going on when you've become a feral mess? To Kagome?"_

Inuyasha grit his teeth and tried not to snap out loud. _'Kagome has no need to know. I've dealt with worse things than this.'_

"_Be that way, then. But remember Hanyou, it will soon be spring. You won't have a choice…"_

The hanyou all but growled as his human and youkai sides ceased to speak. He knew damn well that spring was nearly on them. He could feel it. He knew what was coming, and he knew he couldn't get out of it. But if he could ignore it…

When he was still a child, his mother – like any good mother would do – gave him _that_ talk. What she told him was told to her by his father, and after her passing, Myoga had filled in the gaps. Growing up, Inuyasha didn't see why this talk was so important. Being a hanyou, the humans he came across feared him and the youkai shunned him. It was a miracle for a hanyou to even reach adulthood, much less procreate.

He thought he might have had a future with Kikyo, for the briefest of moments. But Kikyo wanted to fix him, make him human to fit her goals, because she couldn't handle the idea of him being of two worlds. The longer Inuyasha chewed on that fact, he was certain that his mother would have been horribly disappointed in him. But then, would Kikyo have even wanted a family?

Secretly, Inuyasha did. Growing up alone, he played the part of being an aloof hanyou, but he craved companionship. He remembered how loving his own mother had been, and would fantasize that his wife would be much the same to their own children. And then he'd snap out of his reverie and remember that he was destined for a lifetime of loneliness.

Then he met Kagome, a girl centuries ahead of his time whose soul once belonged to Kikyo. She was clumsy, a terrible shot, and quick to lose her temper – all things Kikyo wasn't. She broke the sacred jewel, she couldn't handle hunted game being cleaned, and she often came unhinged at getting dirty.

Somewhere in that first year, however, Inuyasha stopped seeing her as a second-rate knockoff of Kikyo and instead as simply Kagome. She wasn't as clumsy anymore, her archery had improved greatly, and she had a better check on her temper. Of course, travelling with him, a short temper was understandable. Kagome gave as good as she got. And she worked hard to collect the jewel shards. And while she didn't get squeamish over dinner prep, she still wrinkled her nose when she had to dig in youkai goo for shards. That was about the only time anymore that she complained of needing a bath.

How Kagome tolerated his ass for almost three years was a testament to her patience. He didn't know when, but his fascination with pushing her buttons had developed into an attraction that was getting harder to ignore. Just like the other things he had been told as a child.

The first inkling of it started a few weeks back, a slight itch that would crawl across his skin, leaving gooseflesh in its wake. Completely unprompted, and the first few times Inuyasha started rubbing his arms out of the blue led to questioning looks from his friends. After that, he tried to ignore the itch until he was either alone or the last left awake at night.

The second sign was Kagome's scent. Nothing was out of the ordinary, but her scent had become even more appealing to him. It was enough to make his demon side want to come out, and that was the last thing he needed. He already had a hard enough time justifying carrying her on his back instead of letting her ride her bike. He wanted her near him, and if she happened to carry his scent, then all the better.

If it had been as simple as that, Inuyasha could have handled the weeks leading up to the present better. Unfortunately, his demon had become more persistent in being heard.

"_If you would listen to me, Kagome would carry our scent inside and out."_

"Fuck off!" Inuyasha blurted out suddenly. His faint blush darkened as he remembered that he had spoken out loud.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome looked at him worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Feh. It's nothing."

* * *

'_I wish Inuyasha would tell me what's wrong.'_

Kagome know the hanyou was acting off, and had been for the better part of a month. When he had first started scratching at his arms, she suggested lotion, thinking it was dry skin. He'd blustered out a "Keh" and an "It's nothing" before putting distance between them. He was becoming more quiet, except for the random bouts of swearing. And then there was the possessiveness. He never acted like this unless Koga came around, and they hadn't crossed paths lately.

She couldn't lie to herself, she found it flattering.

'_Even if he still loves Kikyo,'_ she thought. _'It's still nice to feel like I'm wanted.'_

They were halfway back to the village from following a false lead when Inuyasha had asked Miroku to take her bike. There wasn't any reason to hurry back, and she tried to point this out, but he wouldn't listen.

And so Kagome found herself on Inuyasha's back, wracking her brain to understand what could be troubling her hanyou. It didn't escape her notice that he let out a sigh as she climbed on his back. Kagome figured that if it made him happy, she'd humor him. He refused to explain, and the more frequent his odd behavior became, the more Kagome's worry increased.

* * *

The day they arrived back in the village, Myoga had appeared, and as usual, Inuyasha smacked his neck and squashed the flea. "What's the problem now, Myoga?"

"I don't know what you mean, Master Inuyasha-"

"Cut the crap. You never show up unless something's wrong."

The flea wasn't aware his fidgeting was apparent as he stated, "Nothing's wrong per se. Though I couldn't help but notice that your blood tastes different than normal. If I were a betting flea I'd wager that you're about to enter-"

Inuyasha chose that moment to clap his hands together, squashing Myoga again. Unfortunately this had the added effect of turning everyone's attention on him. Kagome in particular.

"What's going on? What was Myoga about to say?" Kagome looked at the flattened flea worried, not so much about his current state, but by what he had almost said.

"N-nothing!"

"He said your blood tasted different," she pressed. "If Myoga noticed that, then something is definitely off."

"Feh. The only thing off is why you're asking such dumb questions!" There. Pick a fight with her. That ought to distract her.

'_Yes,' _his human side noted with sarcasm, _'Starting a fight is the right way to go about this.'_

'_You forget how enticing she looks when she's angry.' _His demon couldn't resist chiming in. _'How her cheeks flush when that spark in her eyes lights up. Or how her chest heaves when she gets ready to shout. Might I suggest another way of making the girl shout your name-'_

"Stupid questions? Stupid questions?!" And right on cue, Kagome's face became flush with anger as she walked up to Inuyasha and began jabbing a finger in his chest as she started her tirade. "Oh, excuse me! I didn't realize being concerned about your friends' wellbeing meant asking stupid questions!"

"There's nothing wrong with me so just drop it!"

"You've been acting weird for the last month!"

"Well maybe I'm getting tired of being led on false hunts all the time!"

"So this is my fault?!"

"Yes! You're the dumbass that broke the jewel in the first place!"

Somewhere within him, Inuyasha knew right away that he had fucked up on a grand scale. Both his human and demon sides could only brace themselves for the epic sit that was about to befall them. Inuyasha had called Kagome a number of insulting terms in the beginning of their journey, but 'dumbass' had never been one of them. The insults hadn't lasted all that long either, losing their bite the longer that they travelled together.

This one, there was no teasing tone to this one. He had said it with such emotion, that Kagome actually stepped back as if he had physically slapped her.

His ears lowered as the flush on her cheeks from anger quickly dissipated into upset. "Fuck, 'gome…I didn't mean that-"

"SIT!"

As Inuyasha collided with the dirt, he let out a yelp, but he couldn't bring himself to ask her why she sat him. He knew damn well why this time, and the subsequent sits that followed were justified.

Standing back a ways from the disaster that had just taken place, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara visibly winced at the sunken crater as Kagome stomped off towards Kaede's hut.

"Why does he always do that?" Sango asked softly, watching the hanyou pull himself out of the dirt and walk in the opposite direction. _'Probably gone to nurse his pride.'_

"Have you noticed that Inuyasha has been deliberately picking fights with Kagome?" Miroku replied. They had turned and followed Kagome's path, not choosing to catch up to let her save face and cool down. Myoga had returned to his formal shape and sat perched on Kirara's head.

"Why though?" Shippo asked the monk. A silent shrug was the only reply.

Sango couldn't fathom that Inuyasha _liked_ being sat, so it was baffling to see what had unfolded before them. What Miroku said made sense, the longer that she mulled it over. Inuyasha had been acting rather aggressively in the last month, but they had done nothing to poke his temper. It was almost like…no…that couldn't be it. Surely not. She distinctly recalled reading scrolls during her slayer training that related to…that…but was that what was going on?

* * *

Later that evening, Sango had an opportunity to corner Inuyasha about his recent behavior.

Kaede had procured an abandoned hut for the group to use when they returned to the village; its previous owners had opted to move further west where the majority of their kin were located, and there had been no new arrivals that came to claim it. It had the added benefit of being set away from the bulk of the population, giving the group the privacy they needed for discussing matters of the modern world, jewel shards, and Naraku. It was here that Sango saw her chance and took it. Kagome and Shippo were visiting with Kaede, and Miroku was performing a blessing for a couple who had recently discovered they were expecting. There was no one else in the hut with them but Kirara, and Sango wasn't worried about her.

"Can I ask you a question, Inuyasha, without you getting mad?"

The hanyou looked over at her.

Sango pressed forward. "How old are you exactly?"

Of all the questions, that was not what he was expecting to hear. "You're kidding, right? You know the answer to that."

"Let me try again. How old are you, if you were a full human?"

Inuyasha frowned as he thought about it. "I guess I'd be about 17. Why you wanna know, Sango?"

"I'm only curious, speaking as a demon slayer. But as a friend, I'm only asking out of concern." She paused, watching his expression, before continuing. "I know you don't want to hear that Kagome was right, but…well…Inuyasha, you haven't been yourself for a few weeks now."

'_She suspects,'_ his human side noted.

"Tell me again how I ain't been right." He challenged, all the while praying that his human side was wrong.

Sango started counting off the examples on her fingers. "You've been extra moody, even when it's not a new moon. There's the random cursing, the way you've been pushing Kagome to ditch her bike, not to mention that you've gone out of your way to start arguments with her-"

"I do not!"

"You do so," she responded nonchalantly. "Inuyasha, I'm only making an observation here, but it seems to me that you're trying to…avoid something."

'_The slayer is very clever,'_ his demon side told Inuyasha.

"Avoid what?" Now his voice sounded suspicious. She couldn't possibly have figured it out, could she?

To her credit, when it was apparent that Inuyasha had no intentions of contributing any more, she was able to keep the heat in her cheeks to a minimum as she pressed forward. It was one thing to study the limited information she had in her father's scrolls, but to sit before a demon and explain what she knew was another matter. It wasn't exactly proper talk on any level.

"When I was training to become a slayer, I was required to study all manner of materials about youkai. I was told that I needed to know as much about any youkai that I might cross as possible, and that…well that…it lead to learning more about youkai behaviors than I ever expected to learn."

'_Fuck, she knows!' _Inuyasha thought.

'_Possibly,'_ his human side said.

'_Almost a guarantee,'_ his demon side argued.

"Where you going with this, Sango?"

Sango had the decency to smile apologetically at Inuyasha as she got to the point. "You're about to reach physical maturity, and when spring arrives, you'll succumb to the inu youkai mating fever, won't you?" There. She said it.

Silence filled the main room of the hut as Inuyasha stared at Sango and tried to counter her assessment. There was nothing doing, he'd have to come clean to somebody. Fortunately Sango did not seek to tease him about his predicament, and it was with that knowledge that he felt comfortable enough confiding in her.

"Fuck. Dammit. You're…you're right." His shoulders slumped, and Sango felt a twinge of sympathy for him in that moment.

"Can I ask what you plan to do?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "What _can_ I do? Hanyou don't exactly have the best track record with finding mates, and I never expected to live long enough to worry about this."

That statement made that bit of sympathy grow. Sango knew that full youkai as a rule shunned hanyou, and humans were wary of their youkai side. Generally it was a life of solitude, if one survived long enough.

"Have you thought about talking to Kagome about this? You know, instead of starting another fight?"

"Hell no!" Inuyasha blurted out.

"Why not?"

"Sango, I can't tell Kagome about this. She'd want to help me…and I can't let her do that. She wouldn't know what that help would mean doing, and I don't want her to make some stupid decision just for my sanity."

The slayer sighed. "Kagome cares about you, Inuyasha. She's worried that there's something worse going on-"

"Worse?! How could something be worse than this?!"

"-and you not telling her is only letting her believe there is. It's not the end of the world. Just explain and tell her the truth. She'll understand, and you'll feel better if you talk about it with her."

Inuyasha snorted. "The only way I'll feel better is if-" His eyes widened considerably when he realized what he had almost let slip. One look at Sango told him that she didn't appear upset over his near blunder. From within he could hear his youkai half snicker, and wished he could get one good punch in. His influence was becoming stronger the closer it got to spring, and deep down Inuyasha was worried about that.

An ear twitched, picking up the soft footfalls of Kagome approaching the hut. Inuyasha looked back to Sango and quietly asked, "Please don't tell Kagome about this."

"You have my word, Inuyasha." _'But it should really be you that tells her anyway.' _

'_You know the slayer is right,' _The youkai told him as the hut fell into silence once more. It was clear that Sango only knew part of the circumstances that Inuyasha was going through, and had only offered her suggestion based on that knowledge. She couldn't fathom what it would mean to tell Kagome the truth. There was so much more to it than he wanted to admit to anyone.

'_I can't tell her,'_ Inuyasha argued with himself. _'Kagome can't know that she's my chosen.'_


	2. Chapter 2

For once, Inuyasha actually looked forward to the new moon.

It was a bizarre feeling to have, but throughout the day he was more anxious for nightfall to _escape_ his youkai senses. To not be able to zero in on one particular heartbeat, to not be able to be pulled in by that specific scent…from sunset to sunrise Inuyasha could only see it as a vacation of sorts.

That still didn't mean he would be free from his youkai thoughts, however. Even on his human nights, he knew the bastard would be there within the recesses of his mind, trying to tempt him to give in. With recent developments, the youkai was also trying to work on his hanyou form, and as much as he wanted to deny the truth, it was getting harder to ignore.

Fortunately for Inuyasha, Kagome had left for the well after breakfast, intending to return home to restock on supplies and pay her family a visit. Inuyasha was uncharacteristically nice when he told her to take her time, and Kagome was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. She had promised that she would return before sunset, silently reminding herself to bring him something back special, just for him. He may have pissed her off the day before, but she tried to look past it, knowing that something was going on. Perhaps if she buttered him up with extra ramen or snacks that night, she could get him to open up and talk to her.

Instead of spending the day hanging around the well, Inuyasha kept inside the hut. Unless someone specifically asked of him, he stayed tucked away in the corner of the main room, thinking about the conversation he had with Sango the night before. Inuyasha would sooner give Tetsusaiga to his brother than admit Sango was right out loud, and he knew he had to talk to Kagome.

The problem was actually doing it.

On the one hand, he knew that Kagome would be willing to listen to him gripe about inu youkai instincts, without admonishing him for being a freak or a pervert. On the other hand…she'd probably be just as likely to offer to "help" him. Honestly, a small part of him – his youkai side he reasoned – would jump at said offer, and that scared the hell out of him. He did harbor some feelings for the modern miko, but he knew that this was something he could not ask of her no matter what. And so Inuyasha sat and brooded in the hut, trying to decide what the best course of action would be come sunset. Maybe he could explain just enough to satisfy her curiosity?

'_Once I take over you know that won't happen,'_ his human side pointed out.

'_You do have the ability to vomit your feelings,'_ the youkai grinned. _'In no time at all you would have bared everything but your skin before her.'_

'_Neither one of you are helping!'_

'_I never claimed to,' _the youkai replied.

'_Kagome deserves to know,'_ the human continued. _'She is our friend. I doubt that she would run away; we learned the hard way that pushing her away does no good.'_

'_That's what bothers me,'_ Inuyasha groaned.

* * *

"I'm surprised that Inuyasha didn't come with you today," Mama Higurashi said, placing a stack of bento boxes on the table next to Kagome's bag. Between the two of them, they had prepared a large homecooked meal for the group's supper.

Kagome double-checked her yellow bag and the extras that were sitting next to it. "That's part of what's bothering me about him lately. He's been acting really strange, ever since it started getting closer to spring…"

As she dove into her observations, Mama Higurashi listened, putting the clues together. She had a pretty good idea of what could be troubling the young man, and she felt it had more to do with his inu youkai blood than anything anyone had done. It wasn't her place to speak of it, though, so she kept her thoughts to herself. She felt certain that in time, Inuyasha would confide in Kagome. It would probably embarrass him, but this was one of those things that was a part of life, and you couldn't tiptoe around something that was natural.

Instead, she told her daughter, "I'm sure Inuyasha will open up with you with time. It could be that he's shy about whatever it is and can't find the right words to say."

"You think so?"

Mama Higurashi nodded. "He's about your age, physically and mentally. Would you be able to talk to him about your monthly cycle without getting embarrassed?"

Kagome didn't have the heart to tell her mother that _that_ particular topic had been discussed years ago, when they barely knew (and tolerated) each other. It had been mortifying to acknowledge then, so looking at it that way, it made sense that Inuyasha was trying to avoid talking about whatever "it" was.

"No…no I can't see that being something I could talk about so casually."

"There you go, then. And if nothing else, a belly full of homecooked food should sweeten even the most sour disposition," her mother winked. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Pretty sure I do." Kagome shouldered the backpack and looped as many of the bags she could around her arms, her mother bagging up the bento boxes and following her outside to the well house. It would be tricky to get all the supplies and the meals down the well in one jump, and she really hoped that someone would be waiting for her return by the well. "I'm sorry I can't stay for supper, Mama."

"Don't worry about it, Kagome. It was good to see you again. I hope that Inuyasha returns to himself soon; I'd hate to think that he's struggling with something. Take care of yourselves!"

Kagome nodded, giving her mother a quick hug and another farewell before swinging her legs over the edge of the well and jumping into the time stream.

* * *

Inuyasha could pick up Kagome's scent from his spot in the hut, and on reflex he stood and ran to the well before he realized what he was doing. He had intended to stay put, to let her come to him for once, but his feet had carried him there. Now he was reaching in to pull her up, along with the multiple bags she had strapped to each arm. Did he smell food?

"Feeling any better?" Kagome offered, once her feet were firmly on the grass.

Inuyasha shrugged. He didn't know how to respond. Everything about his mental state was screaming that nothing was fine and probably never would be again, but instead… "Kagome, we…we gotta talk."

"Talk?"

"Yeah…you know…about…yesterday."

Kagome didn't need to ask, she vividly remembered her persistence leading to the argument. "Inuyasha, you don't have to talk about that if you don't want to. I'm sorry I was pushing you so much."

He sighed, taking the extra bags before they started their trek to the hut. "That's just it. You didn't do anything wrong. I was the one being the ass." He raised one of the bags and began to sniff it. "Hey this is food, ain't it?"

She couldn't help but notice how his tone had perked up with that question. "Yeah. Mama helped me put together some bento boxes for everyone for supper tonight. I didn't want you to go out hunting tonight, with the new moon and all."

Inuyasha was grateful for that gesture, though he still would have gone out of his way to secure meat for dinner if she had asked it of him. It was one of those things that he couldn't say no to, or not near as easily as he'd want anymore.

"By the way, Mama says she hopes you feel better. I hope you don't mind, when she asked how everyone was doing, it sort of came out that you haven't been yourself."

"Keh." There was no way he could hide the redness in his cheeks. _'She has no idea…'_

'_Kagome's mother is very perceptive,'_ his human side reasoned, _'I wouldn't put it past her to figure it out.'_

The sun was beginning to sink into the horizon by the time they reached the hut. The bento boxes were passed around, Shippo and Kirara venturing to Kaede's hut to deliver hers. Kagome had started a kettle of water over the fire pit for Inuyasha's ramen, an unspoken gesture that he desperately tried not to grin about. The four tucked into their meals, without much talk. There wasn't much to discuss, aside from inquiring about Kagome's family in the future.

With the meals finished and the empty boxes stacked in the corner, Sango decided to make her evening plans known. "I think that if it's alright with everyone, I'm going to visit with Kaede for the night." She gave Miroku a pointed look, which he caught on to her meaning and agreed.

"What's the deal?" Kagome asked. There were multiple rooms in the hut they were given; it didn't make sense to spend the evening with Kaede unless there were no other options.

Sango had to think of a quick explanation. She couldn't say that the hanyou and the miko needed to talk things out, that'd only make Inuyasha clam up more. "Well…Kaede has more experience with youkai that I've never come across, and since we have the time…it might be good to learn what I can from her."

"And I can always get more practice strengthening my ofuda," Miroku pointed out. "Shippo's already over there; he can assist me in writing the spells while I charge them. It would be beneficial for when we start our journey again."

'_I don't like how quickly they came up with those excuses.'_ Inuyasha thought to himself. Miroku was quick to bust out an excuse to the point that it came naturally. Sango on the other hand was terrible at it. He could smell the anxiousness as she spoke, but he didn't acknowledge it. He saw where she was going with this, and in a way appreciated it.

Kagome didn't. "But…why at night?"

"Kaede was busy most of the day," was Sango's response.

The miko tried not to grunt in frustration. She didn't mind spending the new moon with Inuyasha, just the two of them, but she didn't much care for the excuses they were using to give the pair the time alone.

Miroku held up some ofuda. "I can put up some seals around the hut for tonight to ward off any potential threats, human or youkai. You won't have to worry about sitting up all night if you don't wish to. Between Kagome's abilities, these ofuda, and the village being a safe area, you'll have nothing to worry about tonight."

'_I call bullshit,'_ Inuyasha thought.

* * *

It was dark now. Kagome had taken the initiative to bring lanterns to light the interior of the hut from her time. Sango and Miroku had left hours before, bidding them good night and that they would see them in the morning. Inuyasha had eaten the instant ramen Kagome had prepared for him shortly after that, and it was halfway finished when he discovered that his sense of taste was also impacted as he shifted into his human state.

Kagome could tell from the displeased look on his face in that moment that it wasn't the ramen itself that was bad, it was the lack of vibrancy his human senses had. Instead of letting him dwell on it, she pointed out that she had gotten a good deal on the instant cups and had brought more back with her than she typically did. The small smirk she saw told her enough.

Of the things that Kagome had gone back to her time for, she had stuffed her bag to capacity with things to occupy their time through the night. Of course, she also expected there to be more than two people to play the board and card games, but they made due. It was during their game of Uno that Inuyasha felt comfortable enough to talk.

"So you want to know why I ain't been myself?"

Kagome paused mid-discard as she looked at Inuyasha. "It would be nice, but I don't want you to talk about it if you aren't ready to-"

"Now's a good a time as any." He drew a card, then another before he could discard. "Just…do me a favor. What I need to say is something that I never thought I'd ever talk about with anyone. Please don't think any less of me when I tell you, okay?"

"You know I'd never do that."

"Wait until I tell you the whole story before you say that."

The miko frowned as she discarded a wild card, telling him that the color would change to red.

"You know how humans reach adulthood…" Inuyasha started to say, then snorted and thought better of it. Of course Kagome _knew_ that; she was human! He glanced her way to see her nod briefly, not appearing to look at him like he was stupid, which he was feeling like right then. "…well, youkai go through something similar when they reach maturity."

"So puberty," Kagome clarified. At his confused look, she elaborated. "Physical and hormonal changes. Youkai go through that change as well so they can reproduce?"

She had said it so simply, but Inuyasha still felt his cheeks get warm. _'I'm blaming this on you,'_ he told his human half. "S-something like that. With youkai…well…not all youkai go through this change the same way, but it does happen. There's more to it than that, at least for inu youkai and others like us-"

'_Us, is it now? So you're finally acknowledging that we're one and the same, Hanyou?'_

'_For the purposes of this, Youkai, you know he is.'_

'_Human, just because you have control right now does not mean you're superior to me.'_

'_I never claimed to be-'_

Inuyasha's two sides were interrupted then. _'It's _really_ hard to talk about this _without_ you two assholes arguing it out in my head!'_

"Inuyasha?"

"S-sorry." He shook his head, looking down at the cards in his hand, then back to the discard pile. Kagome was looking at him concerned, and it occurred to him just how long he had been silent. He placed a card down, motioning for her to continue the game. "The youkai and human halves of me have their own mindset."

Kagome ended up having to draw six cards before she found a red one to discard. "Is that why you've been shouting out loud randomly? Were the three parts of you in an argument?"

"That's…that's exactly it." He swallowed.

"Let me guess…does this argument have anything to do with the way you've been or this youkai maturity thing?"

"Fucking hell, 'gome. The next time I call you stupid, sit me."

The miko across from him looked surprised. "Was I close?"

"Close? You're right. I'm serious; if I ever say you're stupid, sit me, cause I don't give you enough credit."

There was no hiding the blush that came across Kagome's cheeks at the compliment, and ducking her head to study her cards did little to hide it. "Thank you," she said shyly, discarding a matching number card to change the color to blue instead. "Okay…so what does all of this mean then? You're approaching inu youkai maturity?"

"Not approaching…more like it's already happened." Inuyasha scratched his neck nervously. He really didn't want to talk about this next part, but there was no turning back now. "When inu youkai reach maturity, the following spring, they experience something called…mating fever. When that happens, well…it's what the name implies. Youkai that experience mating fever are driven by instinct; it's like a pull in their mind. Find a mate, claim the mate, and sire offspring. Not all youkai experience this at the same time; for inu youkai and similar youkai, it's usually spring."

Kagome listened as Inuyasha spoke, noticing that he refused to look at her as he talked about youkai physiology. _'Oh Inuyasha…what's going through your head right now?' _"That doesn't sound so bad, Inuyasha. I can't see the problem. It's nature."

Inuyasha's gaze snapped to hers in disbelief. "It's animalistic," he argued. The terms were archaic, and not usually used among youkai for the most part, but they got the point across just the same as saying 'husband' or 'wife'. Still, the whole thing made him feel like the wild animal he had been told he was since he was a child. "How does this make me any different than a domesticated dog?"

"You're not a dog, Inuyasha!"

"I'm inu hanyou-"

Kagome groaned. Loudly. "So _what_? How is that any different than human nature? People in my time go out of their way to look for mates, they hold celebrations announcing their joining, and they begin families! Tell me how that's different!"

Inuyasha frowned.

'_The human has you there, Hanyou.'_

'_This is what we've been trying to tell you. Kagome doesn't look at you the way the rest of the world does.'_

The miko could tell that Inuyasha was having an argument within himself. His silence was enough to make her wonder that maybe they had taken the conversation further than he wanted. She glanced back down at her cards, debating on whether she should say what she felt needed to be said. "You know," she began, playing a wild card that had Inuyasha drawing four, "You can look at this…mating fever…however you want, but to me it's no different than humans getting married and starting families. It's a part of life. You're not weird or broken, or whatever else you may think you are. You're a healthy adult whose experiencing adult things. That's all there is to it. Oh- and yellow."

'_Kagome…'_

'_She's persistent,_' the youkai practically grinned. _'I like that.'_

'_She is certainly not like other women in this time. From what I've seen, possibly from hers as well.'_

'_I really don't need either of you telling me what I already know-' _Inuyasha internally growled, drawing four cards. He growled outright when he drew four green ones, and an additional four before he got a yellow one.

'_Then tell us again why you're fighting us so hard on this, Hanyou.'_

'_Not every day I actually agree with the weakling.'_

As the night continued on, both the human and youkai halves would echo within Inuyasha's mind, telling him to suck it up and tell Kagome the rest of the issue with the mating fever. No matter what was said, Inuyasha would not budge on this. Kagome knew enough to know what was wrong with him. If he said anymore…

Kagome, on the other hand, knew when to pick her battles. So she spent the remainder of the night, keeping Inuyasha engaged in games and extra snacks she had brought back with her that day, doing anything to keep him from feeling pressured to talk about the mating fever. She knew he hadn't told her everything, and he either would or he wouldn't.

Between the new developments and the exhaustion of arguing with his differing sides, Inuyasha found himself drifting off to sleep next to Kagome's sleeping bag. That should have been his first clue that things were going to take a turn he wasn't expecting.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun was barely crossing back into the horizon when Inuyasha felt the change. For once, he was content to lay where he was and attempt to return back to sleep as his body shifted from its human form back to its hanyou form. Eyes closed, he let out a sigh, glad that – up to a point – things had returned to normal.

Then his nose picked up the scent of two other men. In the hut. While Kagome was asleep.

Amber eyes shot open before Inuyasha even sat up. One was a man, he was certain…the other was…well, it was male, but his mind was too foggy to really understand what his heightened senses were trying to tell him. Why were those scents so familiar?

'_You know what? It doesn't matter. Ain't nobody supposed to have gotten into this hut last night!'_ He had Tetsusaiga in his hand as he came up from the floor with a growl. He'd beat Miroku's ass later for those ofuda not working like he claimed, after he had wiped the floor with the newest intruders.

* * *

"Who the hell are you?!"

"I know you're not this dense, hanyou."

"That doesn't explain the 'why' we're here-"

"Funny, my next question was _how_ you got here!"

"We should take this outside. Kagome-"

"Hell I am! We're starting this – right – here!"

Kagome woke up to the sounds of yelling within the hut, which made no sense to her. The last thing she remembered from the previous night, Inuyasha and her were stretching out across the floor. She had talked him into at least attempting to get some rest in his human form, reminding him that they couldn't be more safe in the hut than if they were back in her bedroom. She also remembered Sango telling her that the rest of their group would return later in the morning. From the way the sun was filtering through the windows of the hut, it was barely sunrise. Kagome groaned then, rolling over in her sleeping bag to try and get a little more rest. Whatever it was that Inuyasha was yelling about, he'd either kill it or smash it to bits soon enough.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!"

Okay, so maybe not.

"What are you yelling about-" Kagome sat up, rubbing her face tiredly. She looked up to see Inuyasha and two other men turn at once and look at her. "I-Inu…yasha?"

"There. Do you see what you've done?" The black haired man told Inuyasha. "Kagome needs rest, and you yelling has probably woken up the whole village!"

"Don't act so damn righteous! You two are the reason I'm yelling!"

The third man, with silver hair, actually snickered. "Funny that didn't seem to do you much good days ago either, did it?"

Kagome rubbed her face again and stood up. "Look…I don't know what's going on here, but who are…you…two…Inuyasha?" If her and her mother hadn't made the bento boxes the night before, Kagome could almost swear she had eaten something weird and was dreaming. How else could she explain what she was seeing.

There was Inuyasha, not three feet from her. Across from him stood a carbon copy of Inuyasha from the night before, when he was human. Not far away from him, there was also…Inuyasha…but this looked more like the youkai side that came out when his life was in danger. Only this time, there was no threat, and the youkai didn't have a look of bloodlust in his eyes. Kagome looked to Inuyasha, who shrugged before glaring back at the other two. She looked over to meet the gaze of the human form, who bowed his head slightly to her. When she looked back at the youkai, she wasn't sure what to expect, but the smirk he sent her was not it.

"Okay, can someone _please_ explain to me what is going on?"

A tinny voice spoke from the floor, and Kagome bent forward with her hand outstretched for Myoga to hop on. "I believe I can offer some wisdom, my dear." Before he started, he turned to Inuyasha and narrowed his eyes. "I hope you are satisfied, my lord."

"What?!"

"This is _your_ doing, Master Inuyasha! Kagome, the reason that you see three Master Inuyashas before you is because of the mating fever. I assume that you already know about that?"

"Some," she said, gesturing to the three, "But how does that explain…this?"

"Well you see…Master Inuyasha has been ignoring the call of the mating fever for longer than you probably realize, and now it had reached an impasse within him, causing him to split into his youkai and human forms as well-"

"That's enough, Myoga." Inuyasha cut in.

"Kagome deserves to know," the human countered.

"If you won't tell her, Hanyou, I will."

"Over my dead body!"

The youkai grinned. "That could be arranged."

The human turned to the youkai. "You realize you would be killing yourself."

The youkai flexed his hands and turned to face the human. "You know what? Right at this moment I could care less. I think I'll start with you first, just to warm up. Once I have you two out of the way I'll tell the girl everything she wants to know."

"The fuck you will!"

A snarl. A yell. A string of curses. All hell had just broken loose in the hut.

Kagome had backed herself into the corner, Myoga sitting on her shoulder, trying to get her brain to process what was going on. The human Inuyasha had yelled out in alarm and had taken off around the hut, trying to avoid the youkai's claws. The youkai Inuyasha was making a game out of the pursuit of the human, coming close enough to make the human panic and yell some more before backing off and doing it again. The hanyou Inuyasha was now going after the youkai, and had made a few successful grabs for his arms, only to be knocked back each time. Kagome wished she were dreaming, it would make more sense than…_this_. It was past the point of ridiculous now.

It had to stop.

"Will you- urgh!" Too bad they weren't listening. She took a deep breath and shouted, "SIT BOY!"

In all honesty, Kagome had never tried to use the beads on the new moon, so she had no way of knowing that instead of three shouts of pain from the floor, there would only be two. It did get the human to stop, though now he stood there and was laughing at the hanyou and the youkai.

"Serves you both right!" The human was practically giddy with this new knowledge.

"Will you knock it off already!" she shouted across the room. It was when the laughter died down from the human and the groaning from the hanyou and youkai that Kagome realized that of the three versions of Inuyasha before her, only the hanyou form was wearing any clothes. Red faced at having seen Inuyasha naked for a _third_ time now, Kagome shrieked and covered her eyes. Not that that did any good; she'd gotten a hell of a look this time, and it wasn't so easy to forget. "And why aren't you wearing any clothes!?"

Human Inuyasha looked down at himself as the hanyou and youkai forms pulled themselves up from the ground. "Guess the clothes didn't divide when we did."

Youkai Inuyasha didn't look the least bit ashamed of his nudity as he sat cross legged on the floor, making no motion to cover himself.

Inuyasha looked at his two forms; at least the human was looking around for something to cover himself with. As for him, Inuyasha was mortified that Kagome had seen him naked…again. When he barged in her room, he hadn't been thinking about anything other than getting away from that shower head. When he had gotten dizzy in the hot spring, well…that wasn't his fault. He was doing good just getting out of the hot spring to get the hakama Kagome had been blindly handing him.

Kagome kept her eyes closed as she turned and left the main room. She knew there were some coverings in one of the back rooms, or she hoped there still were. The hut had meager offerings when Kaede had gifted it to them, but Kagome had never spent enough time in the hut to really look around. She did locate a chest in the first room she entered, and upon looking inside, had found a pair of lightweight blankets that could be fashioned into makeshift robes. _'Well…it'll have to do until we can figure something better out.'_

She was too busy thinking about how to fix the current issue to remember to cover her eyes when she came back into the main room. Kagome felt her face heat up again as she looked up to see, once again, two very naked Inuyashas sitting on either side of the one she was used to dealing with. "H-Here!" she squeaked, tossing a blanket at each before she spun around to face the wall.

"You blush so becomingly," Youkai Inuyasha said, standing up to wrap the blanket around his hips. "If I didn't know better, I would think you like what you've seen."

Inuyasha, still sitting on the floor, punched the youkai in the leg. "Just shut your mouth and cover your ass already."

Human Inuyasha had already covered himself and sat back down. The youkai, on the other hand, moved towards Kagome as she turned back around.

"Oh. Hello." Why was Youkai Inuyasha coming so close? Kagome had to admit that her response was terrible, but from the look on his face, he either didn't care or wasn't paying enough attention to even acknowledge it. He kept approaching until they were toe to toe, and Kagome had to resist taking a step back. She knew if she did, he'd follow her, and she really didn't want him to know that being that close made her nervous. _'And not even the kind of nervous I should be,'_ her mind wondered. When his hands came up to grasp her shoulders, Kagome tried not to let her uncertainty show, but when his nose met the juncture of her neck and shoulder, she couldn't contain the tiny squeak of surprise.

Then he sniffed her.

'What is going on?'

Youkai Inuyasha gave a few sniffs before grunting in approval as he straightened back up to look at her. "Yes," he declared, much to the horror of the human and hanyou behind him, "There is no mistaking it. You are our mate."

* * *

Kagome was stunned.

Inuyasha was furious.

Human Inuyasha moved away from the hanyou, knowing what was to come next.

Youkai Inuyasha was pushed back away from Kagome by said hanyou, who stood before her glaring darkly at the youkai.

"Who the _fuck_ do you think you are, going and telling Kagome something like that!?" he roared.

"I'm you, you ignorant dumbass," the youkai replied nonchalantly.

"Of the two of you, I figured that I only had to worry about _him_ running his mouth!"

Human Inuyasha crossed his arms and looked put out. "Even I wouldn't be so callous as to say it like that."

"Excuse me?" Three sets of eyes turned to Kagome at once. "Can someone tell me what's going on? What…exactly…do you mean by 'mate?'" She had a fairly good idea, but surely she wasn't right. …Right?

Myoga hopped back onto Kagome's shoulder, having taken refuge outside the hut during the explosion of reactions. "It's quite simple, Kagome. Master Inuyasha's consequences of fighting off the mating fever instincts in his blood has caused his mind to divide into his full human and full youkai forms. Because he is now of maturity in both forms, he can no longer avoid it, and as his full forms recognize and are willing to accept fate for what it is, we now have this conundrum to contend with."

"So…" Kagome glanced at the three briefly. "You mean to tell me…that because Inuyasha is fighting a losing battle with nature, he's divided up into his human and youkai forms because _they_ don't want to fight it anymore?"

"Precisely, my dear."

Inuyasha was avoiding making eye contact with Kagome as the realization began to sink in for her. He knew why it happened. He also knew that what the youkai had said was truth, but he couldn't tell her that. Inuyasha may have recognized Kagome's scent as his mate years ago, but up until now he was able to ignore it. And now the youkai had gone and told her she was his mate like they were discussing the weather!

"Then why haven't you listened to your other halves?" Kagome rounded on Inuyasha. For the moment she had pushed the 'mate' comment to the back of her mind, focused more on the reason for Inuyasha to split into his human and youkai selves. "Honestly! If they've been trying to get you to listen, why haven't you?"

'_Why did you have to ask that?'_ Inuyasha sighed and turned to Kagome. "Because…it's complicated."

"How."

'_Stop asking questions I'm not prepared to answer,'_ He silently pleaded.

"I'm waiting." Kagome crossed her arms, looking the hanyou straight in the eye, daring him to try avoiding explaining.

Inuyasha didn't want to tell her, but he knew that stance. Kagome could be just as stubborn as he was. "Mating fever means that I don't have a choice!" Hell, his face couldn't get redder. "Once I've found my mate, the mating fever becomes worse, until I declare and mark them…"

Human Inuyasha chose that moment to clarify for the miko. "It's like you mentioned last night. How in your time the people find their mate, make it known through marriage. It's like that, but all at once. As far as youkai customs go, there is no need for courting when the mate is recognized as such. They usually accept it and mark each other."

Inuyasha turned to tell him to shut up, but Youkai Inuyasha had decided to keep the information coming out.

"There are different customs for youkai. Inu youkai choose one mate for life. There can be partners before then, but once a mate has been claimed and marked, they are bound through blood and soul for eternity."

"That's it? That doesn't sound all that terrible, Inuyasha. What happens if you keep ignoring the mating fever?" Kagome couldn't fathom why this was so embarrassing, unless Inuyasha believed that his baser youkai instincts made him more animalistic than anything. She didn't think any less of him – it was in his nature after all, apparently – but it did irk her that he'd been holding all of this in for weeks. She thought she had made it clear long ago that she didn't share the thoughts of the people in his time. If nothing else, last night should have reminded him of that.

Inuyasha didn't know the answer to that. He had limited knowledge of inu youkai customs; most of what he was experiencing was running on guesses and Myoga. His mother hadn't even known that much.

"He'll get the worst case of blue balls in youkai history," Youkai Inuyasha snickered. He made a dodge as the hanyou took a swing at his head.

"I don't believe there are any…fatal consequences if Master Inuyasha elects to continue ignoring his baser instincts. However, if what the youkai declares is true, then the mating fever is only going to become more pressing. He will be unable to focus on anything else until he is sated, for lack of a better term. Worst case scenario is that Master Inuyasha choses to succumb to the mating fever by force."

"And like hell that'll happen!" Inuyasha snapped. "I'll be damned if I'm going to _force_ anyone into that arrangement!"

"But what if someone…chose…to help?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and groaned. "Kagome…don't even think about it." _'Please don't suggest that. Even remotely offering to help is an invitation that would be too hard to pass up at this point.'_

Kagome pointed at Youkai Inuyasha. "Your youkai half said I was your mate, right? So what's the problem?" She blanched a second later as _everything_ sunk in at once. How could she have been so bold to say that?

Fortunately Inuyasha saved her from backpedaling. "It _can't_ happen, Kagome." His tone was resigned, and he hoped he didn't upset her with what he said next. He had enough problems right now, making her cry was not about to be the next one. "The problem is the result of claiming a mate. My youkai half is right when he said that inu youkai mate for life; the souls blend during the marking, and there's no going back from that. We're still looking for the jewel shards, and sure as hell Naraku would try to use my…chosen mate…as a weakness against me-"

Kagome didn't miss the fact that he avoided saying what the youkai had stated so plainly, and she wasn't sure if she were insulted or relieved that he was tiptoeing around that piece of information. She was too busy following his train of thought and gasped suddenly. "Kikyo!" she blurted out.

"What about her?" the youkai asked, bored.

"You said you were going to follow her to hell!" Kagome pointed out, ignoring the youkai as she looked directly at the surprised hanyou. "That's the real reason, isn't it? If you were to mate with somebody and mark them, wouldn't that drag them down with you?"

Inuyasha couldn't decide which part of her reaction caught him off guard more: that she didn't stumble over talk of mate marking or that she brought up the other miko without getting upset. "Where the hell is everyone getting that from?" He decided it was the "dragging to hell" bit that needed to be addressed first. "I never told Kikyo that I was going to hell with her! That time she nearly _took_ me with her was against my will, and you brought me back to my senses! I've told _Kaede_ that if going to hell was my _fate_ for avenging Kikyo's death, then I would accept it."

"So…you're not…going to follow her?" Kagome had always assumed, but if that wasn't what he wanted anymore…dammit she did not sound hopeful, did she? Even if she couldn't help him she still didn't want to lose her best friend, and that's what he had become over the years.

The hanyou shook his head. "I don't think I could go even if I wanted to. I'd be leaving you behind…and you're too clumsy to be left to your own devices in this time."

Human Inuyasha pressed his lips together and raised a brow at himself_. 'Kagome is too kind for you to be making such dumb statements,'_ he thought to himself. _'You had an opportunity to just say what you've been ignoring for years, and you blew it.'_

Kagome knew the insult lacked any bite to it, and found herself smiling at his attempt to be brash. She'd let it slide; there were other matters that needed to be addressed anyway. "We'll help you make sure Kikyo can rest peacefully again," she told him. As much as she couldn't contain the jealousy whenever her preincarnation was mentioned, she meant what she said. Kikyo might have tried to kill her in the beginning, but Kagome couldn't let her be cursed to living a life of the walking dead. It wasn't fair to her. "Okay. So…Is there anything that can be done to…I dunno…offset the mating fever?"

The flea that continued to sit on her shoulder was grateful for the subject change. Myoga shook his head. "Sadly, there is not. It is my belief, given the current situation, that Master Inuyasha needs to heed his instincts. That's all there is to it."

"Speaking of situations," a new voice called from the open doorway of the hut. Kagome, Myoga, and the three forms of Inuyasha turned as one to find Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara looking on in disbelief. Miroku continued, "What has happened?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Inuyasha?" Sango tentatively asked from her spot at the door. "What happened to you?"

They had opted to stay for breakfast with Kaede that morning, as one of the villagers had gifted her with a morning catch of fish that would have gone to waste otherwise. Sango had a restless sleep, hoping that either that night or the following morning Kagome would be "in the know" as far as what had been bothering Inuyasha. She was certain that he would at the very least explain the most basic points to the miko, as awkward a conversation as it would be. She also knew that Kagome wouldn't think any less of him for what he confided in her. It was with that thought that she was finally able to fall asleep. She had woken up that morning expecting Inuyasha to have returned to his gruff self, as he did after each new moon had passed, ready to get back out on the hunt for jewel shards.

But this? She never expected to find this.

Inuyasha frowned and looked at his feet. It was all going to come out now. He knew that Sango was familiar with his "ailment", and Shippo would understand it to an extent, being a youkai himself. But Miroku was the one he really feared finding out. The monk would hold this over his head for days, if not weeks.

"He split," Kagome spoke up. "Inuyasha's been…conflicted…over some things lately, and when he transformed back this morning, I think the shift caused him to split into his human and youkai parts."

"There are three Inuyashas now?" Shippo looked less than thrilled. The hanyou were enough to contend with on any given day, and his human self could be equally pissy. The youkai though…that one made him nervous.

"I imagine there is a simple solution," Miroku nodded. "But I have to ask, why are your human and youkai selves wrapped only in blankets?"

Kagome felt her cheeks heat up instantly, and she hated that she couldn't control it. Youkai Inuyasha was grinning at her, which didn't make it any better. Hanyou Inuyasha wasn't even focusing on anyone else in the room, choosing instead to kneel before the firepit to start a fire for breakfast.

Human Inuyasha only shrugged at Miroku, not able to give an answer that wouldn't make the situation more embarrassing than it already was.

"Have you guys eaten yet?" Inuyasha asked quickly, hoping to distract the monk's wandering thoughts.

Sango nodded. "Kaede had been kind enough to offer us breakfast- Where is he going?"

Kagome had taken a seat, pulling her bag over to her. She had been fishing through it for her kettle when Sango had spoken. Looking up, she saw the backside of Youkai Inuyasha leave the hut, dropping the blanket on the floor in the process.

Inuyasha pretended that his youkai self had _not_ just gone out into the woods bare ass naked. He took the kettle from Kagome, saying, "Probably gone to hunt something. I'll go get some water. Kagome, will you stay here with my human half? If the youkai comes back before I do, I don't want that part of me to try and maim the other part of me."

"Speaking as the one that could be maimed, I wouldn't want that either."

"How's Kagome supposed to protect your human self from your youkai self?" Shippo asked, confused.

"He won't mess with Kagome," Sango cut in quickly.

She had no idea that Youkai Inuyasha had declared Kagome as their mate when she said that, and Inuyasha stiffened as he realized he'd have no choice but to come clean. Miroku would find some way or other to tease him, but if he didn't get the truth out before the youkai got back, there was no telling what would happen. "Sango, Miroku, I need to talk with you two."

"Oh Shippo, you forgot to take Kaede the drawing you made for her last night," Kagome reached into her bag and pulled out a rolled up paper that the kit had asked to hold for him until they returned to the village. She could tell that Inuyasha needed to fill their friends in, and she wanted a word with his human counterpart that she didn't feel comfortable saying in front of the boy.

To his credit, either Shippo understood or he was none the wiser, taking the drawing and running out the door, Kirara trotting along with him. Inuyasha stood with the kettle, nodding to Kagome and telling her that they'd be back as quick as they could. It wasn't that he was really worried that the youkai would do anything forceful per se, but he had already told her more than he was willing to admit.

* * *

"That's what happened, and now I have no idea how to fix it."

Inuyasha had started talking as soon as they were a few feet from the hut, keeping the tones hushed in the off chance a villager were nearby. He was thankful that Sango had gone along with his request, for her being there might have kept Miroku's joking to a minimum. Neither one teased him, but neither pitied him, and he was thankful for small favors.

"There is a way to solve this dilemma," Myoga chimed in.

"No there's not-"

"Inuyasha, let him finish," Miroku nodded to the flea. "There's a way to make Inuyasha whole again?"

"No-"

"Master Inuyasha needs to claim and mark his mate so that he can alleviate the mating fever! I believe that by doing so he will return to normal!" Myoga hopped from the hanyou's shoulder to Miroku's just in time to avoid being squished.

"That's all?" Miroku looked surprised.

"Some youkai have particular customs," Sango supplied, choosing her words so her blushing friend wouldn't go even redder. "I'm not familiar with inu youkai, but the little I do know, when they come across the one that is deemed by scent to be their mate…"

"That's it. They mark them, claiming them for eternity." Inuyasha's ears drooped slightly as they reached the stream.

"I still don't see the problem," Miroku really couldn't find the issue. "To be bound to one for eternity, to know that they will only seek the comforts of yourself, how can that be making you look like you've been issued the penalty of death?"

Inuyasha walked ahead of them quickly and knelt by the stream to fill the kettle. "Because I've already found her."

If they hadn't been so close, Sango or Miroku might not have heard him. He stood with the filled container in his hands, but he wasn't turning around. Sango was afraid to ask her next question. "Is it…Kikyo?"

That made Inuyasha spin around so fast the water almost forced the lid open. "Why the hell would you think it was Kikyo?! Kikyo's dead; mating fever doesn't work like that!"

"Then who?" Miroku frowned. "If it's not Kikyo, then why do you look so upset at the prospect? Do you wish it was Kikyo?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Even if Kikyo were still alive, she never would have agreed, even if she were the one. Kikyo…she tolerated my youkai side…she'd have rather I'd been fully human." This wasn't a road he wanted to venture down, especially when it didn't affect either of his friends. He started walking back to the hut, only pausing as he reached them to say "It's Kagome. Kagome's supposed to be my chosen."

* * *

Being left alone with a human Inuyasha once again in the hut should have felt like the previous night. But instead of sitting next to him playing card games to pass the time, Kagome was now sitting next to him trying to ignore the fact that this part of Inuyasha only had a blanket to cover himself. _'Not that I haven't seen him naked,'_ she thought, fiddling with her hands. _'Most girls would probably kill to be in my position right now.'_

Human Inuyasha may not have been able to scent the anxiousness coming off Kagome in that moment, but he could tell from the way she was moving about. He didn't know what he could do to calm her nerves, so without thinking he had asked her, "What else do you want to know?"

"Huh?"

He shifted in his seat, trying to cross his legs without undoing the blanket wrapped around him. "The mating fever? The hanyou me ain't going to tell everything he knows until he has no choice left. The youkai me is too…willing…to say what he knows. I can't promise this isn't embarrassing for me, but I don't like the idea of you being kept in the dark about this, Kagome."

Kagome turned to face Inuyasha. "So it's true? What the youkai you said?" She knew it had been addressed already, but she was still having trouble wrapping her head around the possibility that she was Inuyasha's mate.

"About you being our chosen? It is. It would have been better had the youkai not blurted that out as he did, but there is nothing to be done for it now."

"No, I don't suppose there is."

"The youkai me means well," Human Inuyasha continued. "He doesn't think like a human, so he doesn't realize that claiming you as our mate so openly might have been off putting."

Kagome couldn't help the giggle that escaped. "It was certainly surprising."

Her laughter made him smile. "This claim does not upset you?"

"No," Kagome shrugged, adding, "I mean, I'm flattered…but…the youkai Inuyasha may say that, but does the hanyou Inuyasha feel that way? It looked like it really bothered him when the youkai said it."

"Speaking as a part of the hanyou, I can assure you-" Human Inuyasha had been about to tell Kagome that the hanyou _did_ in fact share the youkai's beliefs when said youkai returned through the doorway. His eyes widened when the youkai did not stop until he approached Kagome, dropping to his knees with a rather large selection of meat from his hunt.

Kagome had been used to seeing Inuyasha return to their camp with cuts of meat for their meals, so the slightly bloody, raw meat in the youkai's hands didn't phase her. It was the fact that he didn't bother to cover himself as he knelt down before her that was hard to ignore. _'It's not exactly like he's trying to hide it either,'_ her mind squeaked.

"Could you please cover yourself up!"

Human Inuyasha's retort went unnoticed by the youkai, who continued to look at Kagome and present his catch to her. The miko, understanding, reached for the cookware she had set aside and indicated for Youkai Inuyasha to set the cut meat inside. She placed it on the rack over the fire pit and turned back to the youkai with a smile. "Thank you, Inu-"

Soft lips pressed against her own, cutting her off. _'He's…he's kissing me!'_ Kagome's mind was whirling then. She didn't know what had come over the youkai, or that she had done something to indicate that she had asked for this. But really, she couldn't complain, as for years she had dreamt about Inuyasha kissing her…among _other_ things. It was nice, wonderful even, but there was that small part of her mind that was snidely reminding her that this was only a _part_ of Inuyasha, and probably didn't account for his true feelings on the matter. Human Inuyasha had told her that the claim was real, so why couldn't she enjoy this?

"What the fuck are you doing?!"

Oh yeah. Inuyasha coming back to the hut right at that moment was why. A part of Kagome was thankful for that, because if his youkai self had kissed her even a second longer, she couldn't have been held responsible for what might have happened. She came back to her senses rather quickly when the youkai pulled back, but made no move to step away from her as Inuyasha entered the hut, growling.

And he was _still naked_.

Inuyasha could smell his youkai self as they neared the hut. He didn't pick up any sounds of screaming, so he hadn't thought anything of it until he pushed back the hanging screen. There was his human half, face palming in disbelief. And then there was the youkai, bare ass naked and kissing Kagome! It was no wonder he saw red in that moment.

Youkai Inuyasha turned to regard the hanyou visibly shaking as he got closer. "I know you're not that much of a simpleton," he commented.

"Shut up and cover your ass already!" Inuyasha's fist did connect with the back of the youkai's head this time, not that it actually hurt him. If he hadn't had such a grip on the full kettle, he might have thrown it instead. He set the kettle on the rack next to the cooking meat and sat on Kagome's other side. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," she replied, averting her eyes when Youkai Inuyasha stood up in front of her_. 'One of these days I'm going to be left permanently blushing! Why does he keep doing this?' _

Inuyasha could see the flush across her face. It was impossible to miss. His ears lowered slightly; he felt bad that she was being subjected to his youkai's inability to care about being decent. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" If the youkai had so much as forced himself on her, he wouldn't be able to stop from instigating a fight he would most likely lose.

Kagome met his gaze at that question. "No, of course not. He was very…sweet. He came back with some meat, ready to be cooked." She motioned to the sizzling cookware. "He brought back a lot."

Youkai Inuyasha was once more covered as he turned to face the group, though not before giving Sango and Miroku quite the show. Sango understood Kagome's embarrassment now, having seen first hand what her friend had woken up to that morning. Miroku was feeling a twinge of jealousy; he and Inuyasha had taken their turns bathing in the hot springs that they visited after the girls had gone, so there was nothing either hadn't seen of the other. But at least each of those times, Inuyasha hadn't put his nakedness on display for the world to see. The youkai had no qualms about nudity it seemed.

"Provide for pack," he said simply, sitting down on the hanyou's right side.

"Pack?" Kagome had never considered before that they were all part of Inuyasha's pack, but it made sense. He was inu hanyou after all, so of course there would be some part of him that would default to such instincts. Inuyasha had never implied as much, but the way he scouted out secure campsites for them said it all the same.

* * *

Sango and Miroku sat down alongside Human Inuyasha, uncertain of the youkai who checked the meat cooking over the fire.

The slayer watched Kagome as she prepared a large portion of rice with some of the water that Inuyasha had brought back. She wanted desperately to speak to her friend about everything, but from the looks that the youkai was sending her way, she didn't think she could get Kagome off on her own. _'He's looking at her like she's really his mate,'_ she thought, correcting herself. _'Well, Inuyasha did say that Kagome was his mate. What does she think about this?'_ She hadn't missed the kiss, or the look that crossed the miko's face as the youkai had backed away. Sango knew that Kagome had harbored some feelings for Inuyasha, and had for a long time. She also knew that her friend suspected that his heart still pined for Kikyo, which pained her. Now that she knew what Inuyasha had revealed at the stream, she began to wonder what it was that made him so upset at the prospect. _'Kagome would be smitten with the idea, obviously. Does he not feel the same way? Does he wish that it were Kikyo instead?'_ He had told them that Kikyo would not have agreed to the arrangement if his youkai had chosen her; could it be that he thinks Kagome would reject him as well?

"What do we do now?" she asked, accepting the offering of food that was handed to her.

"I think getting some clothes should be the first thing," Miroku pointed out. "It wouldn't be very practical for either Inuyasha's human or youkai forms to go around in only a blanket."

"I don't see what the problem is," Youkai Inuyasha said.

Kagome almost choked on her rice. "Really? You can't see the problem?!"

"You don't seem to mind, Mate."

That time she nearly spat out her mouthful of rice. "When have I ever said that I didn't mind?!" she squeaked.

Inuyasha pointed at his youkai self and growled. "Don't. Say. A. Word." The truth of the matter was, even _he_ could tell that Kagome didn't mind, and that bothered him almost as much as the youkai's lack of decency. Her scent changed each time the youkai bared all, and Inuyasha was trying to ignore that it was a good change. She certainly wasn't repulsed.

Shippo had returned partway during the meal, choosing to sit between Kagome and the hanyou Inuyasha. Kagome had fixed him a helping of food as he settled in, even knowing that he had already eaten. Youkai Inuyasha had brought back too much meat, it seemed, as there was still a fair amount left in the cookware. She looked around at her friends, about to ask if they wanted any more, but decided against it. They looked just as full as she felt.

"You should eat." Youkai Inuyasha stated, dropping a few more cuts of meat into Kagome's bowl.

Kagome looked down at her now-full bowl. She had been about to protest the additions, and turned to the youkai to tell him that she couldn't possibly eat another bite, but his gaze stalled her. Even with his red eyes and longer fangs, he still looked at her with concern. Did he not think she ate enough? _'Probably not, compared to him,'_ she realized. It was strangely sweet, his gesture, and she swallowed her reply as she smiled at him in return.

It would mean that she'd probably eat a light lunch later on, but she couldn't turn down Youkai Inuyasha's offering.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been an interesting day, to say the least. Miroku had left to seek clothing for the two nude Inuyashas after breakfast. Kagome bolted from the hut as soon as he returned, not wanting to be subjected to another strip show by the youkai and used the excuse of searching for Kaede. The old priestess had been informed of what had happened but could offer no solution at the time. When she returned to the hut, Inuyasha had declared that they should just try and head out again. Naraku couldn't get the last of the jewel shards, after all.

It had taken the better part of the day to reach their current point. Inuyasha was more than annoyed by this, because a large part of the blame he felt should be directed at his human and youkai parts. The human couldn't match the speeds of the youkai, and the youkai wanted to run ahead. Inuyasha didn't want the youkai to go too far, not trusting that he wouldn't snap and go feral on some unsuspecting traveler. Kagome had left her bike inside the hut this time around, in hopes of appeasing Inuyasha's mood, but his counterparts filled that space quickly enough. So it was left that they all were traveling by foot. They had no known leads this time, and there wasn't a reason to ask Kirara to carry anyone until there was. When Inuyasha mentioned stopping for the night, the youkai had taken the initiative and scouted ahead to make sure the area was clear. He could smell the hot spring close by, and felt that Kagome deserved a warm bath at least, to make up for the news that had been dropped on her that morning.

"Finally, I was wondering if I would ever get to talk to you alone," Sango half joked as she and Kagome settled into the hot spring.

Evening had begun to set in as they reached their chosen campsite. Sango had made it clear that she wanted some 'girl time' with her friend and grabbed Kagome by the wrist as she trekked towards the hot spring.

Kagome couldn't help but laugh herself. Having traveled with her friends across feudal Japan for the last few years, she had seen her fair share of strange things, but this had taken the cake.

"I've got to know, especially since we're alone," Sango winked at Kagome as she asked, "How was it, kissing Youkai Inuyasha?"

The blush that stretched from the top of Kagome's chest to her ears wasn't from the heat of the water, as much as she wished it was. "You just had to remind me of that, didn't you?"

"Well?"

"It was…it was wonderful," Kagome mumbled, covering her face with her hands as she admitted it. "I wasn't expecting him to be gentle, I mean, every other time Inuyasha's full youkai self came out, there was nothing gentle about him."

"He's certainly taken with you."

It was a statement, but Kagome felt she had to tell Sango the truth. "He says I'm his mate, the youkai Inuyasha. Human Inuyasha told me that this was true, but Inuyasha hasn't said anything about it. It seems like every time someone brings it up, he shuts it down." Kagome drew her knees up to her and rested her arms across them. "I'm not sure what to think, Sango. I'm flattered, yeah, but…"

"You don't think that Inuyasha believes what his counterparts are saying."

"Right." She sighed. "I can't even enjoy the memory of that kiss without thinking that the youkai did something that Inuyasha never would have, and it makes me feel like I've somehow betrayed Inuyasha. Is that stupid?"

'_Oh Kagome, if you had any idea…'_ "I think…I think that Inuyasha is just confused right now. He told you about the mating fever; maybe this addition is overwhelming. I bet when he can sort his thoughts out, he'll be able to say for certain what he feels."

"You think so?" Kagome tried not to get her hopes up, that perhaps Inuyasha might have feelings that reflected what she had been told. But that kiss…

"I'm positive." _'Inuyasha's already admitted to us that Kagome's his chosen mate. I bet when he can wrap his head around that and accept it, that he'll tell her.'_ "Maybe this is why Inuyasha split into his counterparts, so that they can help him come to terms."

Kagome snorted. "So far all they've done is fight. I can't see them reaching an understanding any time soon. Come to think of it, this morning was almost like what happens whenever Koga comes around." _'But then again, there's only one Koga and Inuyasha, and no one's naked when they clash.'_

Sango couldn't help but laugh. She might not have seen everything unfold when Kagome had, but the interactions she _had _seen were enough to fill the gaps. The whole situation wasn't supposed to be funny, but it kind of was. "Have you ever looked at it as Inuyasha being territorial? With Koga coming around, I mean."

The confused look she saw in her friend's eyes said that she hadn't.

"I don't know a lot about inu youkai, but I can tell you this, Kagome. They are _very _territorial, especially when it comes to the members of their pack. Whenever Koga appears, Inuyasha's on the offensive, because to him Koga's encroaching on one of his pack members." She chose to leave out that it was only Kagome the ookami ever expressed an interest in seeing, as she already knew that. "They're also fiercely loyal and will do whatever it takes to provide for their pack…and their chosen mate when they find them."

"Yeah, but Sango-"

Sango wouldn't let her speak, because she'd only deny it. "Have you ever noticed the things that Inuyasha does, Kagome? When it comes to hunting, he'll clean the meat away from camp, because it had upset you that one time. He puts up a fight when you must go home to study, but he ultimately brings you back to the well. He even sought out our camp tonight because it had this hot spring, without you even asking. To me that says a lot."

Kagome was blushing again, though not nearly as bad as earlier. Inuyasha did things like that to benefit everyone though. Okay, so the first time he had cleaned a rabbit in front of her, she had reacted on teenage girl instinct. She had apologized later as the meat was set over the fire, feeling foolish for flipping out to near tears over him providing a meal. After that, he had prepared the meat out of her sight, claiming that the unused remains would benefit some other animal and keep them away from their camp. She always apologized when she had to return home and tried to make good on bringing treats back when she finished. The last point Sango made, well she wasn't sure what had come over him to make that decision, but she was definitely grateful.

"He does those things for all of us," she tried to play off.

Sango shook her head. "You've been with Inuyasha since the start, and I know I was the last to join you, but it's clear he's done these things for so long that it's become second nature. Actions speak louder than words with Inuyasha, from what I've seen."

"I still think you might be overthinking this, Sango."

"Maybe, but you can't deny that Inuyasha hates it when you're upset with him. Or when you cry. Or how happy he gets when you come back through the well."

* * *

Inuyasha had done decided that if he could kick both his human and youkai's asses, he would. All day it had been a nightmare to get as far as they did before he decided to call it a night and make camp. Sango had taken Kagome away to the hot springs earlier, and for once he didn't have to worry about Miroku dragging him to spy on the girls. Youkai Inuyasha had growled at the monk as he started to stand, and the noise alone was enough to make him sit back down. That didn't mean the youkai didn't want to go, which meant that he and his human self were resigned to keeping an eye on both monk and youkai until the girls returned.

They had taken their own turn in the hot springs afterwards, while Kagome and Sango started boiling water for their dinner. After their rather large breakfast, there had been no need to stop for lunch, and for once Kagome was fine with eating instant noodles for supper. She was glad she had brought extra this time around, as it meant that their staples would go a little further now with two more to their group.

As they returned to camp, Inuyasha could smell the seasonings from the instant cups Kagome had filled with hot water and tried not to get excited at the prospect. When the youkai and human took a seat on either side of Kagome, it dampened his mood considerably.

The human was more conservative around Kagome, Inuyasha was thankful to see. It still annoyed him to see his human self continually reach over and take Kagome's hand to hold, or even just caress it with his fingertips. He went out of his way to make her smile, but so far, he had refrained from spilling his darkest secrets.

The youkai, however… Inuyasha was ready to skin him. His youkai had been more…amorous…in his display of affection, seeking to get Kagome to blush at any opportunity. He had invaded Kagome's personal space more times than he could keep up with, and when the chance came up, he'd sneak in a quick kiss.

Kagome never made any move to indicate that she didn't welcome the attention from either form, so there was nothing Inuyasha could do aside from stating that they back off. She'd blush and laugh it off, missing the longing looks the youkai would give her as she continued with what she was doing. Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking. He couldn't find anything that said she found the attention unwelcome, but everything to suggest that it was. He should be thrilled; if she was this accepting of his affections, surely, she'd understand what it was that she still needed to know. He might have been, if he didn't have the lingering thought that it was either his human or youkai selves that Kagome was strictly interested in.

When it came time to settle in for the night, Kagome had unrolled her sleeping bag and tucked herself inside. She had fully expected Shippo to join her, as he usually did, but instead she found him asleep against Kirara. Shrugging to herself, she scooted to lay down, only to nearly jump in surprise as Youkai Inuyasha lay down in front of her.

"You don't want to sleep in the tree?" she whispered, knowing he could hear her.

"Protect mate," he grinned, watching her eyes widen. The youkai could very well use her name; he just enjoyed watching her squirm with this new endearment. He nodded behind her, and Kagome knew that Inuyasha had taken refuge in the tree that stood over her spot. She felt a warmth behind her though, and craning her neck, she saw that it was Human Inuyasha who had settled in on her other side.

"'S cold tonight," he said, blushing slightly himself. "Need to make sure you stay warm."

Kagome didn't respond, only nodded and whispered goodnight to the both of them. It was going to be hard to fall asleep, sandwiched between two Inuyashas, but it would happen. Eventually. Her mind was exhausted, so it didn't take as long as she feared.

For Inuyasha, the morning couldn't come soon enough. He doubted he'd be getting any decent rest, not while his youkai and human parts were flanking Kagome even in her sleep. There was one benefit to this arrangement; even if he did drop off into a hard sleep, Kagome would still be protected.

* * *

"It's not my fault!"

"If you had just stayed back like I said-" Inuyasha was glaring at his two counterparts. The human looked offended, and the youkai looked bored.

"You honestly expected me to listen to you, Hanyou?"

"Shut it! I don't want to hear it!"

Kagome could only stand back with the others as Inuyasha let out his aggression on the human and the youkai. The morning had started out alright enough, they had packed up and started down the trail like any other day. About an hour into their walk, Kagome had sensed a jewel shard, and after that is when it all went downhill.

"_I sense a jewel shard up ahead!" Their pleasant walk came to a screeching halt at Kagome's declaration._

_Youkai Inuyasha stepped in front of her, sniffing the air. "Stay behind me-"_

"_You can't even see the jewel-"_

"_I forbid my mate to fight. This youkai is nothing-"_

"_Excuse me?!" Kagome was furious. "You forbid me?! I don't think so!" Just to spite him, she drew her bow and notched an arrow as the youkai first appeared._

"_This is bullshit," Human Inuyasha mumbled. He couldn't use Tetsusaiga and he didn't have the strength or speed of the hanyou or youkai._

"_Make sure Kagome doesn't get hurt!" Inuyasha told his human side. He knew Kagome was pissed; he wasn't about to tell her to stand down. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were further back. They were ready if needed, but Inuyasha was so annoyed in that moment that he could take the youkai down with one swing._

"_A human shield, how fitting."_

"_Piss off, Youkai!" Being belittled only pissed him off more._

_Kagome, throughout this drama, was attempting to tell anyone that would listen that the shard was located in the left shoulder. Attempting to point it out fell short as Human Inuyasha kept moving in front of her, Inuyasha continued to cut piece by piece off the youkai, only for the missing chunk to reform._

"_That's it!" she screeched at last, making Human Inuyasha's ears ring. "I've had it!"_

_A bright glow behind Human Inuyasha's right shoulder was the only warning he got before the arrow shot by his ear. 'Fuck-!'_

_Seconds later, the arrow, glowing even brighter now, embedded itself into the left shoulder of the youkai. The light crackled from the entrance point, and the youkai's body began to swell before the purifying arrow caused it to explode. Blood, guts, and chunks of youkai covered the area and everyone, save for those under Miroku's shield._

_Inuyasha turned to Kagome, his grip on his sword going slack. She stood there behind his human side, who looked downright shaken. If he hadn't been so transfixed on her, he would have laughed. "Kagome…"_

"_You are truly amazing, my mate-"_

_Youkai Inuyasha had nudged Human Inuyasha aside to get to the miko. Kagome held her hand up, halting his advancement. "Don't think you can sweet talk me, mister! I'm mad at you!"_

"_I assure you, I only-"_

"_Just who do you think you are, forbidding me!" For once, Inuyasha was glad it was someone else she unloaded on, even if it was still him. Not that it was deterring the youkai. If anything, he became more persistent._

"_Do you have any idea how beautiful you are when you're angry?"_

"_I…what? D-don't change the subject!"_

"_I'm not. Your beauty intensifies when you're riled up, much like when you used your bow to bring that youkai down." He took advantage of her dropped hand to step closer, cupping her face in his larger ones. "Allow me to apologize, Kagome. I only meant to keep you out of harm's way, not to imply a lack of strength."_

_Kagome's breath nearly stopped as he leaned in. "I-Inu… don't… I'm-I'm covered in guts…" The naughty part of her mind was telling her to shut up, that if this was how the youkai wanted to make nice, then she would jump at it._

"_I don't care," was his response, before his lips met hers._

Inuyasha had growled out for the youkai to get his hands off Kagome. When they parted, it took Kagome a second to get her bearings, remembering that she and the youkai weren't alone. Blushing, she ducked her head and started to pick through the remains for the jewel shard. Inuyasha wasted no time in rounding on his counterparts.

"This was a fucking mediocre youkai!" Inuyasha gestured to the pile of remains that lay splattered around them. "Nothing about this should have been this damn hard!"

"We did get the jewel shard, Inuyasha. It's not an entire waste." Kagome dared walk up to the hanyou and laid a hand on his arm. She held up the purified piece to remind him.

Inuyasha turned to her, frowning. "The only other consolation is that he-" he jabbed his thumb at Youkai Inuyasha "-has no desire for the jewel."

"That's because I desire something else more valuable." The intense look he sent Kagome then had her looking away, suddenly shy and finding the trees to be more fascinating than the discussion.

Human Inuyasha beat the hanyou this time, taking a swing at the youkai's head. He connected, only because the youkai let him. "This is not the time for your lecherous remarks!"

Miroku agreed. "We should consider putting the quest on hold, until Inuyasha has returned to normal."

"Are you out of your fucking mind, monk?!"

"We can't face Naraku like we did this low-level youkai," Sango pointed out. "Things were too distracting as it was; if Naraku were to find out about what happened to you, it would be all too easy to use it to his advantage."

Inuyasha tried to tamp down the growl, but he knew that they were right. He tucked his arms into his haori sleeves and looked at each of them. "So what do you suggest then? Kagome's not going out looking for jewel shards without me-"

"Who said I would? What makes you think I'd leave you like this?"

Human Inuyasha looked at the hanyou expectantly, a grin forming as said hanyou started to blush. He may have been dead set on denying it, but the human could tell that lie was beginning to crack. Now if only he could make sure that Kagome kept poking at that proverbial crack, this situation would be settled in no time.

"Anyway," Sango cleared her throat. "Since we can't continue on like this, I think I'd like to head back to my family's village. I remember there were some scrolls that I had been required to study during training; maybe there is something that could be of use to the situation."

"You mean to go by yourself?" Miroku asked. There was the temptation to go with her, but he also knew that Inuyasha had his hands full. It wouldn't do to miss the entertainment that would follow his friend, as much as he'd miss the chance to be alone with Sango.

"I'll go with you, Sango!" Shippo jumped up onto her shoulder. "If we can't go out looking for jewel shards, then Kagome's probably going back home for school, and I don't want to get stuck with three grumpy Inuyashas while she's gone."

All eyes shifted to Kagome.

"Well, I could use this time to get ahead on my schoolwork…"

"Then it's settled," Miroku nodded. "Sango and Shippo will return to her village for research. Kagome will return to her time to study. And I'll return with Inuyasha to Kaede's village and see if I can find a solution to his problem from there."

"Yeah, you go do that," Youkai Inuyasha said, moving to stand on Kagome's other side and slipping an arm around her waist. "You and the humans can mull over it all you want. I'm going with Kagome."

"Who said you were?!" Both Human and Hanyou Inuyasha yelled.

"You're not going with her-"

"Not without me you're not-"

Inuyasha turned to his human half. "Who said _you_ were going?!"

"You can't expect him to go off with Kagome alone!"

"That never meant you were going either!"

"Guys," Kagome felt the need to cut into this looping conversation. "There's nothing to say that all three of you can't go through the well with me."


	6. Chapter 6

"_There's nothing to say that all three of you can't go through the well with me." _

Inuyasha dearly wished that he could either disappear into a void to escape his embarrassment, or chuck his two forms into said void and be rid of their dual grins at Kagome's statement. She had mentioned all three of them – him – going with her to her time innocently enough, but he really didn't like the smiles that followed. He knew enough about himself to know when a breakthrough had flashed in his mind, and seeing it play out in the human and the youkai was so much more worse than he ever imagined the expression looked when he was whole. It wasn't that they were smiling at Kagome – no, they were smiling at _him_, almost daring him to find a way to worm his way out of the situation.

"Let's set out then, Shippo," Sango said, in an attempt to diffuse the tense atmosphere around the group. Kirara had transformed into her full size, and the slayer climbed onto her back with Shippo sitting in front of her. "We'll be back as soon as we can," she told everyone. "We're not too far from the village, and once I've gone through the scrolls I'll return."

"Take care," Kagome told them. "We'll be okay." _'Whether Inuyasha tries to kill one of his halves is another story…'_

A few farewells later, Kirara had taken flight above the trees, continuing in the direction the group had originally been going. Inuyasha declared then that they might as well get going too, putting an arm around Kagome's shoulders and leading her away from his counterparts.

Kagome still couldn't decide if Inuyasha was trying to protect her from his other selves, or if there were a chance that he might actually have an interest in her_. 'The youkai said I was his mate, and the human backed that claim up, but…I don't know. I thought Inuyasha was still in love with Kikyo.'_ She knew it was ridiculous to be focusing on that part of the problem, and she blamed her hormones for that. Kagome knew the biggest issue was figuring out how to fix Inuyasha. Anything else that stemmed from that would have to wait.

The journey had taken the better part of the day, and they arrived back in Musashi just as the sun had begun to set. Kagome reasoned that it was too late to return through the well that night, so she was content to sleep in her sleeping bag in the hut. What she didn't say aloud was that the real reason she was happy to put off returning home was just _how_ she was planning on telling her family that Inuyasha had a problem he couldn't fix with his sword.

'_It's not like I intended on telling Mama everything,'_ she thought to herself, scooting down in her sleeping bag. Kagome dared a glance to her left, seeing Youkai Inuyasha settle into the futon he had laid next to her. On her right was Human Inuyasha, who seemed just as determined to spend the evening next to her as the youkai did. She didn't have to turn to see that the hanyou was sitting only feet away from them; the grunt of disapproval he directed towards the human and youkai were enough. _'If I hadn't been here when it happened, I probably wouldn't have believed it myself. Don't know how I'm going to get any sleep. Do they not realize how strange this is, or do they not care?'_

Miroku sat opposite Inuyasha in the hut, watching the hanyou glare daggers at his other selves. He wanted to tease him desperately, but knew that right then wasn't the time. He'd get his chance, he was sure of it. "You know that we will figure out how to fix this," he whispered, getting up from his spot and tiptoeing around the three on the floor to sit next to the hanyou. He'd waited until he was certain that the others in the hut were asleep, but he wouldn't be surprised if the youkai had been aware of his movements.

"Fuck all knows how long that'll take," Inuyasha mumbled.

Miroku dared test the waters with his next question. "Why does it bother you that your human and youkai selves have a fixation with Kagome? They are you, essentially. It's not like it's Koga."

"One Koga is too much; I'd have killed them already if they were copies of him."

"You didn't answer my question, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha shifted, hoping the darkness of the room hid the pink that dusted his cheeks. "It ain't right," he finally said. "Kagome's my friend. She's the first person to really see me as anything but an abomination to the world. To her I'm not some freak or a monster that parents warn their kids about. I ain't supposed to-"

Miroku couldn't see his expression, but he could tell from Inuyasha's tone that he almost admitted something big. "To what?" When silence followed, he added, "Your words are safe with me, friend. I won't use what you tell me to tease you. There's plenty opportunity for that later."

Inuyasha snorted. It took him a minute, but when he spoke again, Miroku's eyebrows nearly hit his hairline with the admission. "I ain't supposed to think about Kagome the way I have been. Everything about it feels both wrong and right, and I don't know what to do. Seeing those two-" he motioned to his counterparts, "-acting like they are around Kagome…I don't know. All I know is that this mating fever has made things a hundred times worse."

"You do know that Kagome should know that she's…well…" Miroku let the sentence fall off, not wanting to unintentionally out Inuyasha if there were a chance that Kagome could overhear.

"Yeah," the hanyou nodded. "I'm gonna have to tell her. I don't know how."

"You'll find the words when the time is right. For now, let's focus on getting you back in one body. Perhaps it will take both your human and youkai halves to help you solve this dilemma."

* * *

"Okay, you can do this," Kagome told herself. "Just go inside and tell Mama what happened. She's pretty understanding, considering you travel 500 years into the past and all…"

In actuality, Kagome remained sitting on the lip of the well, staring at the doors of the well house. A part of her wondered if it was a wise decision to tell Inuyasha to stay put. She figured that maybe ten minutes would be enough to tell her mother the bare bones edition, cause by that point Inuyasha would be coming through the well with his counterparts.

She felt guilty, pushing off the edge of the well and collecting her bag. Youkai Inuyasha had wanted to follow her regardless, and she had had to tell him firmly to wait. As intimidating as the youkai could look, she still saw the disappointment in his eyes when she told him no. Then the youkai had done something that she hadn't expected – he had asked for a kiss. Kagome chanced a look at Inuyasha, seeing him gape like a fish. She had nearly declined, but then he had said _please_. It wasn't a demand, like she would've expected from the youkai, but a request. Kagome silently apologized to Inuyasha as she stood up on her toes to give his youkai counterpart a brief kiss. If Inuyasha got mad at her, well dammit, his youkai had asked _nicely_. How could she have told him no after that? The last look she had as she climbed over the edge of the well was Youkai Inuyasha looking victorious at the human and hanyou, while said hanyou could only stare on in disbelief.

Kagome exited the well house, slinging her bag over her shoulder. The shrine grounds appeared empty, which was just fine with her. She couldn't risk having three Inuyashas exit the well if there were crowds of people visiting the shrine, when it was typically closed off to the public. Since it was still early, she knew she had to book it to the house, because Inuyasha had limited patience when he _wasn't _divided into three.

"Anyone home?" she called out just inside the front door, kicking her shoes off.

Mama Higurashi stepped out of the kitchen, drying her hands with a dish towel. "Kagome, welcome home. Is everything alright dear? How is Inuyasha doing?"

"Funny you should mention that…"

* * *

It was indeed a very good thing that the Higurashi shrine didn't typically receive many visitors early in the day. Had any person happened to walk by the "sealed" well house barely ten minutes after Kagome had exited, they would have heard quite the commotion coming from within.

"Move your ass, weakling."

"Get your elbow out of my back, fucker."

"Would you two morons shut the fuck up already?! Dammit all to hell!"

Inuyasha would be the first person to admit that he had little patience for most things. That thread of patience shortened considerably since he had come to know Kagome, especially when it concerned her returning home for school. But even though this time around her reasons for returning were justified, that didn't mean that he was happy about it. He had given her ten minutes, like she asked, and had drug his two halves back to Kaede's hut to inform the old woman that she'd only have to deal with Miroku's presence for the time being. Kaede in turn had asked him to pass on a message to Kagome that he _damn sure was not_ going to, which still left him red-faced when he thought about it.

"_Tell Kagome that while she is indeed a lucky girl, to not let herself get distracted from her studies."_

The old woman knew exactly what she was implying with those words, and Miroku biting his fist and turning away so he wouldn't laugh didn't help matters either. All it did was make the youkai grin wildly and start heading for the door, the human right on his heels. Inuyasha barely had time to point a finger at the monk, muttering that he'd get him back for laughing at his expense before he was chasing the other two to the well.

While they had the decency to wait until Inuyasha had reached the well edge before jumping in, all three of them learned far too late that the inside of the well was rather cramped for three people of Inuyasha's size. It had never occurred to him that this would be an issue, but the instant bitching that echoed in the well and well house made him loose what patience he had left.

Inuyasha jumped out of the well, followed by the youkai. Human Inuyasha, not able to jump as high as his counterparts, shot dark looks at them as he swung himself over the edge moments later. Fortunately Kagome had the foresight to secure a rope ladder to the side of the well long ago, but that convenience did nothing to stop the smug look that Youkai Inuyasha held.

"Shut up asshole," he spit out. "You'll get yours."

Inuyasha had been about to cut the youkai off at the pass before he could respond to that when the doors to the well house opened. All three turned as one to see that it was Kagome and her mother standing there.

"Glad you all made it through in one piece," Kagome joked.

"Oh my," Mama Higurashi exclaimed, "When Kagome told me you weren't feeling well the other day, I never would have expected this."

The hanyou eyed the youkai warily as Kagome's mother approached him. While he hadn't given any indication that he would harm Kagome, he wasn't positive his youkai half would be as accepting of her family.

Mama Higurashi didn't appear perturbed as she stood directly in front of Youkai Inuyasha, raising a hand to gently touch the markings on his cheeks. "How interesting," she said, "This is what you look like as a full youkai?"

Youkai Inuyasha took the hand that was against his cheek and held it, sniffling lightly. A second later he nodded, pleased as he said. "You are Kagome's mother."

'_Thank fuck he didn't say mate. I don't know how I would have explained that one.'_ Inuyasha let out a sigh of relief.

"That's right," Mama Higurashi smiled, turning to greet Human Inuyasha. "And this is what you look like on the nights of the new moon? My, Kagome was right. You do look just as handsome as a human as you do a youkai!"

Human Inuyasha felt his cheeks redden, not expecting the compliment, though neither was Inuyasha or Kagome. She squeaked out a "Mama!" while trying to hide her face, but it was already out in the open, so to speak. Her mother had learned years back that Inuyasha had one night each month where he had turned human, but she had never seen it before, so all she had to go on was Kagome's description. Kagome never expected her mother to air her secrets out to Inuyasha!

Mama Higurashi only smiled in response to embarrassing her daughter. It was a dirty tactic to be so open in front of the girls' crush, but honestly, she was getting tired of the tip toeing they were doing around each other. Prior visits had shown her that much, and the arguments that usually echoed through the house when they were there were deliberate. They'd get too close, and one or the other would make an offhand comment that was sure to set the other off. She led the other four back to the house, asking them if they had had breakfast already. Not that it mattered, she intended on feeding them anyway.

When Kagome had told her that Inuyasha had split into his human and youkai parts, she had been alarmed at first. Then when her daughter began to explain the reason for the split, she had been suspicious that there was information even Kagome hadn't been told. As the four sat around the kitchen table while she prepared something to eat, she kept passing looks over her shoulder. Something was definitely up with this separation, and with the bits of the story that she did know, she had a feeling she knew the real cause. _'If this is what I think it is, then I can understand why Kagome doesn't know,'_ she thought. Mama Higurashi wondered if there would be a way to get Inuyasha alone and convince him that hiding the truth could be more damaging than revealing it.

* * *

"Are you sure your mother didn't know about what happened before today?"

Inuyasha could only stare as Kagome unboxed a tall stack of clothes on her bed. Mama Higurashi, apparently, had been collecting various tops and bottoms she'd assumed would be a good fit for the hanyou. Inuyasha wasn't sure how he should feel about that: grateful that she considered a potential need, suspicious of an ulterior motive, or embarrassed after his last stunt that had him trekking through the house butt naked. The next time he had come through the well, Kagome had indicated the additional bathing yukata that hung in her closet.

"Positive, though Mama can be really perceptive."

'_Might as well go with grateful, then.'_ He turned to look at the youkai and the human. "Alright, get changed."

No sooner had the words left his mouth, Youkai Inuyasha had stripped out of his kosode and was beginning to untie his hakama. Kagome had made a noise so shrill that Inuyasha's ears flattened to his head as she dove towards the pile of clothes on the bed. She had grabbed what looked like short hakama to him and thrust them in the youkai's face.

"Put these on first!" Her eyes were shut tightly, and she didn't see the curious look the youkai gave the material in her hands.

"What is it and why should I?"

"They're boxers," Kagome said automatically, before correcting herself. "They're like fundoshi, but modern."

"Why do I need them, mate?"

'_There he goes again with that…'_ "Look, I'll reason with you. If I knew that you had a fundoshi on right now, I wouldn't bother, but you can't wear modern clothes without these," Kagome shook the material at him for emphasis. "Well you can, but do you want to run the risk of catching yourself in the enclosure?"

Youkai Inuyasha took the boxers, studying them. Human Inuyasha looked to the hanyou and mouthed "Catching yourself?" with a look of pure horror. Inuyasha didn't know how to respond to his human half, having never worn modern clothing before. If the zipper on Kagome's bag was similar to the modern hakama they had been given, he really didn't want to experience that.

Finally, the youkai said, "If I wear these, will you show me how to use the enclosure properly?"

Kagome was almost positive that she'd have an eternal blush even in the afterlife by the time Inuyasha returned to normal. It was an innocent enough question, but why her_? 'I guess because Souta's at his friend's house and Grandpa's working in the office.'_ "F-fine. Just shout when you're dressed…" She quickly left the room, and in her haste told Inuyasha that he'd have to make sure that his halves got the clothes on the right way.

As soon as the door shut, Kagome leaned against the door and sighed. This was not how she envisioned the day going. From inside her room she could hear Inuyasha groaning as he attempted to get his two counterparts dressed. It didn't help the images her mind was conjuring when she distinctly heard the hanyou shout "They're not too small, they're just not baggy!...Just tuck it in!...I don't care, pick a side!". Then there was silence before Inuyasha opened the door, looking about as mortified at what he had endured as Kagome had felt listening.

"I need a minute," he mumbled to her. "You gonna be okay?"

Kagome nodded, watching him step out of the room. She turned back to see that both youkai and human were standing side by side, dressed in plain t-shirts and denim jeans. It would have looked completely normal, had it not been for the pants being undone on both. "Okay," she said to herself. "Alright, just watch me…"

Inuyasha hadn't gone far, just downstairs for a minute before returning to Kagome's room. _'Kagome has the patience of I don't know what to put up with me for three years. I swear children would be less challenging – not that I'm considering that – no, can't do that right now – not that anyone would want to have a hanyou's children – fuck where was I going with this-'_ His thoughts had him so distracted as he stepped into Kagome's room, that the sight before him took him a minute to process. "What the fuck?!"

The youkai and human were where he had left them, both of their attention focused on Kagome…who was currently sitting on her knees in front of the youkai.

"…alright, there. See? Not so hard to do, is it?" Kagome looked up from her position to gauge the understanding of both males. It was awkward, having to do a demonstration while Youkai Inuyasha was wearing the jeans, but she couldn't find a way to demonstrate on a loose pair and stress at the same time that they pay attention where…certain things…sat. She could take pride in the fact that not once did she accidentally grope the youkai, much less catch anything. Kagome had been about to tell Youkai Inuyasha to be careful of his claws, given that they were longer, but a shout and a large thud seconds later had her turning to see Inuyasha laying flat on the ground.

* * *

No amount of apologies or explanations from Kagome could erase the image that had been burned into Inuyasha's mind the moment it hit him what he was seeing. When he regained consciousness, Kagome was leaning over him, checking to see if he were running a fever. He assured her he was fine, even if he couldn't meet her gaze that second. The more Kagome tried to explain herself, the more he realized how innocent the gesture had been, even if his perverted mind was screaming what _could_ have been. He now sat on Kagome's bed, clutching Tetsusaiga like a lifeline as he watched the human and the youkai explore her room. _'Nope, can't leave them alone for too long,'_ he decided, as if it were possible to keep an eye on his halves every minute of the day. Inuyasha knew that was impossible; he just had to trust that they would respect Kagome's virtue.

Kagome was attempting to study her notes and complete her current homework assignment. While there weren't many problems, they had a lot of steps, and it was getting harder to not skip a step with the noise she was hearing behind her. Temptation to look beat out her self-discipline, and Kagome dared glance over her shoulder.

Human Inuyasha was looking at the contents of her bookshelf. No problems there. He'd pick a book up, thumb through it, and put it back. If he found one of interest, he'd skim it longer than the others. Hanyou Inuyasha was perched on her bed, occasionally glancing around the room, probably taking stock on where his counterparts were. Youkai Inuyasha, on the other hand, had grown bored of exploring the items in the room that he could see, and was now poking around in the drawers to see what was hidden within.

It would have been fine, had he not decided to open the drawer that contained her panties.

Kagome would swear on her dying breath that what happened next was only a reflex. Youkai Inuyasha had just lifted out a pair of dark red, lace panties, turning to the miko with a grin that should have split his face. Human Inuyasha, who was standing right next to the youkai, attempted to make a grab for the garment to return it to its place. From his place on the bed, Inuyasha had started to get up, ready to tackle the youkai before he could speak. In a matter of seconds, the three Inuyashas almost converged just as Kagome shouted "Sit boy!".

The panties fell to the floor at Kagome's feet, as did the Inuyasha pile she had accidentally made. Both hanyou and human had sandwiched the youkai as the beads took effect. Unfortunately this also put Human Inuyasha at the bottom of the proverbial dog pile.

"Oops?"

* * *

"I'm really sorry." Kagome sat next to Human Inuyasha on her bed as she rubbed her hand on his back. She felt horrible about what happened, especially since he hadn't done anything wrong.

"Don't worry about it." Human Inuyasha tried not to focus on the circles she was rubbing into his back as she apologized yet again. He had already lost count, and that was _before_ the beads' effect had worn off. In hind sight, it was kind of funny.

The hanyou had all but barked at her from the top of the pile, asking her why she did it. The youkai above him was groaning and trying to fight the spell. He was just hoping he hadn't cracked a rib as he lay there, trying to suck in air as he focused on what he could see: the floor, the discarded lace panties, and Kagome's bare feet as she moved from her desk chair to the pile of bodies. All the while, she was apologizing to them and admonishing the youkai for going through her underwear drawer, because he should have had the decency to take one look and know better. For the briefest second, he had been tempted to ask her _why_ she didn't wear them, but thought better of it. It was enough of a punishment just being trapped under himself.

Once the beads had stopped working, the hanyou had grabbed the youkai by the collar of his shirt and drug him out of the room. Human Inuyasha wasn't sure, but he had a feeling that the youkai was going to catch hell for that stunt.

"I really need to stop saying…that word…so much," she continued. "Especially right now. You and Inuyasha were just trying to stop him, and I went and said that-" Kagome paused and thought about it. "Actually, you're _both_ Inuyasha, so that just sounds redundant. What do I call you?"

Now he was confused. "What do you mean? You know who I am."

"Yeah, but it just feels wrong to call you 'Human Inuyasha' and him 'Youkai Inuyasha', even if that's the form you're in right now. You're still Inuyasha."

"Then don't use specifics, Kagome."

"Are you sure? This won't be too confusing?"

Human Inuyasha took her free hand in his, squeezing it. "You can call me whatever you wish." He almost slipped up and said "Yours" but knew that would be pushing it, but damn the temptation was there. With the hand he wasn't holding still rubbing his back, it was bringing to mind other temptations that were harder to ignore.

Kagome looked down at the hand holding hers as she thought about what he said. Even human his hands still dwarfed her small ones as he squeezed gently, and she looked back up. "If it's all the same to you, I'd like to keep calling…you…Inuyasha?" _'What's that look for? Why is he staring at me like that? I-Inu..yasha…?'_

He hadn't meant to. Okay, that was a lie. He _wanted_ to, but that didn't mean he _should_ have. Meeting Kagome's gaze then, how her cheeks were lightly flushed, and the way she said his name… _'The hanyou will just have to forgive me,'_ he thought, leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers.

The miko couldn't contain the small gasp as his lips brushed hers, not once, but twice, each time pulling away slightly to give her the chance to deny him_. 'The hell with it,'_ she thought, leaning forward to meet him halfway. Consequences be damned. When he kissed her a third time, the moan that came about told him that she wanted that kiss. The hand that had lay against his back moved up to around his neck, pulling him closer. Human Inuyasha held her other hand tighter as he granted her request, at the same time his tongue traced her bottom lip. He wanted more, and had expected Kagome to pull away. Instead, she was more than happy to grant him access to deepen the kiss_. 'This may be my only chance,'_ her logic was trying to justify being pulled further against Human Inuyasha as he explored her mouth. _'Inuyasha will just have to forgive me…'_

* * *

Outside, Inuyasha and his youkai half were moving the last of the boxes that had arrived at the shrine. They were far too heavy for Grandpa to carry, and he wasn't about to let Kagome's mother go out of her way either, not when he was perfectly capable. They had descended the staircase when Mama Higurashi was heading for the door, explaining that a shipment had arrived. Needing the distraction, Inuyasha had volunteered to cart the load with the youkai, and that all she or the old man had to do was point to where they wanted the boxes.

Between the pair, they had managed to kill ten minutes. The old man was impressed, even if he didn't express it as much as Mama Higurashi did. Inuyasha told him that any time he was there and the old man needed help, he'd do it. "No sense hurtin' yourself," he'd added.

But now they had nothing to occupy themselves, and the youkai was casting glances at the staircase. Inuyasha figured that he could poke his head in the room first and ask Kagome if she were still mad before letting the youkai in. As they started up the stairs, he had to know. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that our mate should broaden her clothing selection during our travels."

"That was not the look of someone with that response. And stop saying mate!"

Youkai Inuyasha chuckled. "No, but it is the most innocent response I can give. Kagome _is_ our mate, hanyou. I know you haven't forgotten."

"I'm_ trying_ to forget!"

"You would do our mate the dishonor of letting her believe that there is no sentiment for her in your heart?"

Inuyasha stopped, grabbing the youkai's arm. "Kagome knows I care about her, but it'd be a dishonor if I were to claim her. She deserves better than me."

"Are you sure she knows?" The youkai narrowed his eyes. "I can't help but think that she believes your feelings are skewed towards what cannot be. And how do you know that you _aren't_ better? What, you believe that the ookami is more deserving?"

"Shut it."

"You think it, don't you? Because the ookami is pure blood? He is weak compared to us!"

"No one wants to bear the offspring of a hanyou!" Inuyasha whispered hotly.

"Have you ever asked Kagome?"

"What? No-"

Youkai Inuyasha took ahold of the hanyou's shoulder and steered him back up the stairs. "Then do not presume that Kagome shares the opinions of some hapless villagers from your youth! You won't know the answer until you ask her, so do not sign up for a life of loneliness because you're too thick-headed to ask a simple question!"

Inuyasha hated to admit that his youkai half had a point. Of course he was dragging his feet, how could no one get that? Kagome had been the first person to show him any kindness, even telling him on multiple occasions that she didn't see him like the world did. What were to happen if he told her that she was his chosen mate? He didn't figure she'd run away screaming – she hadn't when there were three of him standing there that morning – but he could almost guarantee that things would be weird from then on out between them. Or worse, she could reject him. He had seen the looks Kagome gave Koga, how she wanted to let him know that his declarations were only one-sided; Inuyasha couldn't take one of those looks.

'_Better off not telling Kagome anything,'_ he told himself. Inuyasha reached the door to her room, straining his ears to hear if she was still angry.

Silence. Then a moan. Albeit a small one, but still a moan.

"What the hell...?" he muttered, turning the knob. When the door swung open, Inuyasha was not expecting to see his human half half-leaning over Kagome on her bed, pulled tight in an embrace and kissing her senseless. "Oi! What the fuck?!"

The couple on the bed, had they heard the door opening, might have been able to separate quick enough. However, they were too wrapped up in each other – quite literally – to care about much else. So the yelp and swearing that filled the room suddenly reminded them that they weren't alone. Human Inuyasha pulled away and sat up, turning to see an irate hanyou and grinning youkai in the doorway. _'Shit.'_

Kagome sat up a second later, hair slightly tousled and unable to hide just how thoroughly she had been kissed, between the flushed expression and the swollen lips. "I-Inuyasha!"

"You couldn't help yourself, could you?" Youkai Inuyasha said, grinning.


	7. Chapter 7

Back in Musashi, Miroku sat with Kaede in her hut as she prepared a remedy to help aid one of the farmer's wives who had taken ill with a head cold. It had only been a few days since Inuyasha had left for Kagome's time, but there had been no word from beyond the well or from Sango and Shippo. Miroku had explained in greater detail to Kaede about Inuyasha's "problem", how Kagome was his chosen, and how the hanyou refused to tell the girl. There was little information he could find in the village about youkai, other than the obvious prejudice commentary, but Kaede did offer an ear and her opinion when appropriate.

"I cannot say I am surprised. Inuyasha has come a long way from the period of time he spent with my sister. It is obvious that his feelings towards Kagome have changed, but we must see the situation as Inuyasha does. He must fear becoming too close to Kagome in such a way, because he may believe that tragedy could befall her. If Naraku were not around, perhaps…"

"I don't think he's ever going to tell her, Kaede."

"Give it time. I'm sure that with much convincing, Inuyasha will reveal all to Kagome." She didn't need to add that with his past being as rocky as it was, it was understandable why he felt he didn't deserve her affections. They both knew that the girl cared deeply for him, and knew that he knew that she cared, but whether he knew just how far gone she was was another matter entirely.

Silence had fallen between them again, Miroku studying the floor of the hut while Kaede proceeded to grind herbs in the mortar. When the hanging screen to the hut suddenly flew open, they were both taken by surprise to see Inuyasha step inside, followed closely by a grinning Youkai Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha! What brings you back? I thought you were staying in Kagome's time?"

Inuyasha dropped down next to Miroku, not saying a word. The youkai joined him, grinning like the cat that caught the canary.

"The hanyou won't admit it, but I do believe that he is jealous of his human half and myself."

Kaede didn't miss the expression on the hanyou's face, but instead of addressing it, she turned her good eye to the youkai and asked, "What did you do?"

"It's not so much what _I _did, as what the human did…"

_Inuyasha could only gape at his human half as the pair on the bed separated. Kagome looked embarrassed to be caught, and the human version of himself had the grace to look apologetic for half a second. 'Damn right he ought to be sorry,' he thought. _

"_Please don't be mad," Kagome started to say, but he stopped her._

"_I ain't mad at you, Kagome." Which was the truth. He couldn't bring himself to be mad at her; his human and youkai halves, on the other hand… They knew better than this. They knew he didn't want to lead Kagome into something he couldn't take back, but they kept doing it. _

_Then the youkai had to open his mouth. "He's just jealous."_

_Before Inuyasha whirled around to berate the youkai, he had caught the surprised blush that appeared on Kagome's face. That was going to be one of those images that he wouldn't be able to shake, no matter what he tried to think about. There was no way she'd have wanted to kiss him like she had with his human half, would she? No, he couldn't think like that, it'd only get his hopes up for something he couldn't have._

_The silence in the room was broken by Kagome's mother calling from the base of the stairs that dinner was almost ready. At the prospect of food, the youkai started to head downstairs. The human followed, giving the hanyou a look that spoke volumes, leaving him and Kagome alone in the room. Kagome stood up and walked over to him, taking his hand._

"_Let's go eat," she said, though Inuyasha could tell from her expression that she wanted to apologize again._

_He closed his hand around hers, appreciating that she wasn't bringing it up, and nodded. He still didn't blame her, he just couldn't._

When the youkai had finished his part of the story, Inuyasha had filled in the last part, mostly to make it known that he hadn't started a fight with Kagome.

"I still don't understand why you're here instead of there," Miroku commented. The way the hanyou's face had gone red, he knew that _something_ had to have happened, but if it wasn't a fight, what was it?

"That ain't even the best part," Youkai Inuyasha grinned.

"D-Don't you even dare-"

"Then do you wish to do the honors, Hanyou?"

Silence.

"Alright then. This part took place last night…"

_Kagome looked at the pile of blankets and pillows that her mother had brought upstairs as the evening began to wind down. She had no issues with Inuyasha spending the night in her room, but now… Apparently that hadn't changed. But still – the giggle that escaped as she left the room, Kagome could have done without hearing._

_It didn't help matters when she said, out of being courteous to the other human in the room, that he could share her bed with her if he didn't want to sleep on the floor. That had started a whole other fit of responses._

_Human Inuyasha blushed as his focus shifted between Kagome and the hanyou. He didn't know how to respond; if he said yes then the hanyou would be after him, but if he said no, then he risked hurting Kagome's feelings. The outburst from the youkai didn't make his decision any easier._

"_Like hell he will! How is that fair to us!"_

"_What 'us'?!" Inuyasha stumbled over the words. "I'm just fine sleeping where I normally do, and so are you two!"_

"_Guys-"_

"_Kagome offered the human the prospect of sharing her bed," Youkai Inuyasha continued. "I guess it goes to show just who she favors more out of the three of us-"_

"_Guys-"_

"_Wh-what makes you say that, youkai!" Human Inuyasha turned redder. "Kagome doesn't play favorites, moron! She only offered to share out of politeness!"_

"_Then why are you turning so red, Human?" Youkai Inuyasha teased. "If I didn't know better, I would think you have dirty thoughts rolling around in that thick skull of yours. Are you really considering accepting?"_

_Inuyasha slapped a hand to his face and tried not to scream. He had to remind himself that it was late and that the rest of Kagome's family had gone to bed already. It wouldn't do for them to hear his two halves bickering about sharing Kagome's bed._

"_Guys!" Kagome stepped in the middle of the argument between the two, crossing her arms and looking both directly in the eye. No matter what she tried to tell herself, she couldn't stamp down the blush as she changed tactics to put an end to this. "There's more than enough room for everyone, if it's such a problem!"_

"_K-Kagome…please tell me you didn't just say that," Inuyasha nearly begged as she turned to him. Did she not realize how that sounded? Apparently so, if her expression was anything to go by. She knew full well how it could be taken._

"_Look," she tried again. "I'm tired. I want to go to sleep. If you want to sleep in the bed, then by all means, the offer is open. To sleep," she added, noticing the heated look the youkai gave her. _

_The three watched as Kagome climbed into the bed, turning to face the wall. Inuyasha looked at his counterparts and sent them a look that went ignored. The human crawled into the bed, and Kagome pulled back the covers as he settled between her and the wall she was facing. The youkai crawled under the covers behind her, not quite spooning the miko, but close enough to drape an arm over the curve of her waist._

'_I don't fucking believe this,' he thought, staring at the three in the bed. There was no way he could go to sleep on the floor that night; it'd put him too far away from Kagome if one of his halves thought to try something. Finally, Inuyasha muttered out a "fucking hell" under his breath, settling at the foot of the bed, his back against the wall. "You two better keep your hands to yourselves," he warned the human and youkai. Kagome had already fallen asleep, but he knew those assholes were still awake and had heard him._

_At some point Inuyasha had managed to fall asleep, but not before hearing the squeak of the bed frame. Kagome had once told him that it was an older bed and not to worry about it. She'd used it since she was old enough to transition from a crib. She had said that since it held together, she never gave much thought to replacing it. _

_Inuyasha couldn't help but have a bad feeling as he dozed off, thinking about her words._

_The next morning, Kagome was awoken by Youkai Inuyasha as he forcibly jerked her from the bed. In her half-asleep state, she hadn't heard the swearing from Inuyasha or Human Inuyasha asking him what the hell his problem was, nor did she register the crash that followed a second later. Kagome half-sat, half-lay across the youkai's lap as she stared at the mattress that now lay on a pile on her floor._

_Seconds ticked by as everyone just stared at the mess, unsure of what to say. Kagome rubbed her eyes and stared at the broken bed frame, trying to process what she was seeing. _

_When it dawned on her that she and Inuyasha had broken her bed, she laughed so hard she cried._

Inuyasha's ears lowered as his face remained just as red now as it had been then when Kagome had explained why she found the situation so funny. He didn't think it was funny. The only person that should have been in that bed was Kagome. If it were just her, then it probably wouldn't have broken.

Miroku was laughing almost as hard as the youkai, and Kaede had the decency to try and muffle her laughter. Being laughed at by the monk and the old woman was _almost_ as bad as when Kagome had explained to her mother what had happened.

Almost.

Mama Higurashi had been far too understanding for his liking. She had laughed almost as hard as Kagome had, then apologized when she saw his expression. When he tried to apologize for how improper the sleeping arrangements had been, she had waved him off. "I trust you, Inuyasha," she had told him. "Kagome is old enough to make her own decisions and you have done nothing but respect her."

'_If she had any idea about the thoughts I've had about Kagome she wouldn't think that…'_

"But that still doesn't explain why you're here instead of there." Silently Miroku really hoped that Sango returned soon; this story was too good to keep to himself!

"It seemed like the time to come back and see if Sango returned with any news," Inuyasha frowned, looking around the hut. "I guess she ain't back yet."

"No, not yet." Kaede resumed grinding the herbs in the mortar. "Should we expect to see you again when one of you has broken something else of Kagome's?"

Miroku snorted uncontrollably at the stricken expression on Inuyasha's face. He knew Kaede had meant it in jest, but it appeared his friend had misheard her imply something else entirely.

"You're not funny, old woman."

"On the contrary, I've been told I can have quite the sense of humor."

* * *

In the present, Kagome and Human Inuyasha were finishing putting together the last piece of the new bed frame she had purchased that morning. It had been an experience taking him with her to the furniture store, and if Kagome had thought they had gotten looks on the street together, then the ones she spied as they walked around the different bed displays was on a whole other level. Fortunately for him, he was too focused on the structure of the bed frames to notice the longing looks the other women in the store were sending his way. How could they not stare? His clothes fit him far too well for someone that was supposed to be a teenager by her time's standards, and the teenage boys she went to school with sure as hell didn't fill out a t-shirt like he did. The looks only turned lustful and jealous towards Kagome when he offhandedly mentioned that he wanted to make sure Kagome picked out a sturdy bed that would last a long time.

Kagome had wanted the floor to open up underneath her after that.

In the end, she had decided on an iron frame, but as to what size mattress…

"You don't think it's presumptuous that I bought a queen-size, do you?"

Human Inuyasha shrugged. "It's not much bigger than the full-size one you were thinking of." The truth was, he didn't understand why the bed sizes were named as such, but the queen size did look like it would fit all of them without making Kagome uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I suppose… I just don't want Inuyasha to come back and think I'm making some kind of suggestion, you know?" Kagome stood up and went out into the hall, beginning to tug the mattress across the floor to the bed frame. "He got so upset last night. I don't want to make it worse."

The human grabbed the end Kagome was pulling and steered it towards the frame while she moved to the other end. With a few tugs, and him liftin the bulk of it, the mattress was settled over the box spring. He then took the offered end of the fitted sheet that Kagome held out and followed her instructions as they pulled it across the mattress. "You know it wasn't you he was upset with, right?"

Fitted sheet on, Kagome straightened. "I'm the one that made the suggestion in the first place."

"And you didn't see any harm in it."

"I didn't think-"

"Would you take it back, if you could?"

"What?" Kagome reached for the flat sheet, shaking it out to unfold it as she thought about how to answer. "I…no. No, I wouldn't." She flung the sheet over the bed, bending again to smooth it out. "Same with this bed. I wouldn't take it back either. If Inuyasha gets mad at me, I'll tell him that the next time he crashes on the bed while I'm studying, there'll be more room for me to sleep too."

When she turned to look at Human Inuyasha, he was fighting down a blush at the memory. "Sorry about that," he said. "Hadn't expected to fall asleep that night…"

"Hey, if I cant apologize then you can't either," she tried to joke. "Anyway, it's not like its any different that when we're sharing a room at an inn."

"There's more space between everyone at an inn."

"Not if you don't want there to be – eep!" Hands on her cheeks, Kagome spun around and prayed that she didn't say what she thought she did. She had never been so bold as to say something like that before! _'At first I thought I was spending too much time around Miroku. Now I'm wondering if it's Youkai Inuyasha that's the bad influence…'_

Human Inuyasha didn't give Kagome the chance to pretend those words she uttered didn't exist. "Kagome?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her around to face him. "What did you mean by that?"

"N-nothing!"

"Kagome…"

"It's nothing, Inuyasha. Don't worry about it."

Kagome dropped down onto the bed, not moving away with he sat down next to her. Human Inuyasha took her hand in his and asked again, "What did you mean, Kagome?" There was no demand in his tone, only curiosity. "Does this have to do with how the youkai and I have been with you?"

"Uh…um…well…kinda?" The miko swallowed her pride and decided to just tell him. Maybe in the long run she'd feel better about admitting it to at least one part of him. "I…I've really enjoyed the attention you and your youkai side have given me. Probably more than I should, but I can't help it. It's been something that's only ever been in my dreams, and I never thought it would actually happen. But each time you or the youkai kiss me, all I can see is how upset Inuyasha is, and I feel guilty that I enjoy it so much. I'm scared that when you go back to being one person…"

"That we won't give you the same affection," he finished.

"And that it'll make things weird between us."

Human Inuyasha gave her hand a squeeze before lifting her up and over into his lap, pulling her back flush against his chest. His arms circled her waist, holding her there, despite her not trying to move away. "Kagome, there are things that I am not at liberty to say right now, but I can tell you this. If the hanyou does not come to his senses, I do not believe that we will return into one body. You have nothing to fear; my hanyou self is notoriously stubborn, but it will dawn on him eventually what he must accept."

Kagome tried not to shiver as he spoke, his breath tickling the back of her ear. She felt his fingertips reach up and brush back some hair before she felt his lips meet the skin beneath her earlobe in a delicate kiss.

She couldn't suppress the shiver then.

"Like that, do you?"

Did Inuyasha's voice always sound so husky? She couldn't be sure. Especially not as he continued to pepper kisses in that same spot, every so often darting his tongue out to stroke the skin there.

"Mmmm…"

She did not just moan.

Human Inuyasha chuckled against her neck, moving down. He didn't need to have an extra-sensitive nose to know that Kagome was enjoying this new pleasure. Her hand had flown up to cover her mouth, but he could still hear the breathy sighs and moans of his name as his lips traveled down her neck. The squirming in his lap was equally hard to ignore, and he feared that if she didn't stop that and soon, something else would be equally hard to ignore. She didn't try to move away; instead, she tilted her head just enough to grant him better access.

"Inu..Inuyasha…" she moaned again, giving up trying to keep the sound from escaping as he nipped her neck with his blunt teeth. Her hands fell to her sides, grasping the tops of his thighs and squeezing. When he began to suck over the spot he had just nipped, her hips shifted in his lap, effectively grinding her bottom against him without thinking.

That action had made him quit thinking altogether, except for the recurring thought of if he could get her to do that again. The rocking motion in his lap was unexpected but definitely not unwanted. One hand remained at her waist, holding her to him, while the other had been at the collar of her shirt, tugging it aside to bare more of her shoulder. That hand had since begun to trail down her side to hold her hip, almost guiding her through the motion again.

Had either of them been thinking straight, they would have heard the front door close downstairs, announcing the arrival of the hanyou and youkai. As it was, they were too busy lost in each other to care.

When the door opened this time and Inuyasha barked at the human to let go of Kagome, he wasn't surprised in the least. Human Inuyasha had pulled back slightly, letting Kagome readjust her shirt, but he didn't dare let her go.

If his hanyou half had picked up on not only Kagome's arousal in the room, but _his_ as well, then he knew damn well why he wasn't letting her up.

"Oh come on!" Inuyasha groaned. "I leave you alone with Kagome this morning and…and…you do _this_!?"

Youkai Inuyasha studied the room, noting the replacement bed. He placed a hand on the hanyou's shoulder, directing his attention to that instead of the heady scent they detected. "Kagome does have a new bed, and would you look at that? There's room for all of us to share her-"

THWACK!

"_With_ her!" The youkai amended, rubbing the growing lump on his head.


	8. Chapter 8

Three weeks had passed since Inuyasha and his youkai form had come through the well and regaled Miroku and Kaede about their adventures in the modern world. The monk had been disappointed as the days passed without word from the hanyou, thinking that there was nothing of interest happening or the gossip was so juicy that Inuyasha refused to divulge him.

Sango and Shippo returned on Kirara around the same time. Miroku had been doubly disappointed when she also refused to tell him anything.

"I didn't find much, so all I have are theories, but I need to know if Inuyasha has made any progress of his own before I explain."

* * *

'_I'm such an idiot it's astounding.'_

In her search for the sacred jewel shards, Kagome had for the most part neglected to follow the modern calendar while she was trekking across feudal Japan. Except for the important exams that _couldn't_ be made up, she had long since decided that 98% of her school work could be made up when she went back home to restock on supplies. Once she accepted this, it took a lot of pressure off her shoulders, and also made Inuyasha happier knowing that she was putting the quest as her top priority. He still pitched a fit when the big exams came around, but relented in the end.

This neglect meant that Kagome had _really_ miscalculated her return to the modern time. When she first came back and filled her mother in on what happened, she hadn't thought about anything school related. It wasn't until she had started completing her makeup work that she realized that she had returned home a few days before the school's holiday break.

In a way, this worked in Kagome's favor. She was able to study and pass the final exams that were given out before the break, which caught her up with her classmates in that regard. She still had makeup work that was required to turn in, but she had taken it by chunks each evening and had finished yesterday. This holiday meant that she wouldn't have to worry about leaving three Inuyashas home with her mother all day.

'_Thank the stars for small favors,'_ she thought, recalling leaving the school grounds to discover her escort service for the past three days. Human Inuyasha would be waiting for her by the school gates, taking her by the hand when she approached him. Kagome had heard the sighs of disappointment from nearby girls and had to force herself not to look smug. If they had been let down by that little gesture, then meeting up with the hanyou and youkai around the corner would have been the icing on the cake. _'Still, it was incredibly sweet of them.'_

It's not like Inuyasha had never come to collect her from school. He had, on occasion, but it was with impatience that she met those times. Was it any wonder she felt spoiled by all of the attention the human and youkai were giving her?

_That_ made her thoughts go down a forbidden road that she had tried not to venture down. Kagome couldn't help it. She had long ago realized that she had fallen in love with Inuyasha, and with that love she held for every aspect of him. But really, could anyone blame her if her not-so-innocent thoughts about the hanyou just happened to get a little kinkier with the addition of his human and youkai manifestations?

'_And it's not like I can find any time to be by myself. Lately I'm doing good to be left alone long enough to take a bath…'_ She didn't want to give either the human or youkai another reason to goad Inuyasha if they caught on to her taking care of herself because of some fantasies that she couldn't shake. It was enough that they knew how she responded to their affections.

Kagome shouldered her bag as she swung her legs over the edge of the well. It had been a while since she had checked in with Miroku and Kaede, so with her school work caught up, it seemed like a good a time as any to see if anyone had come across anything. Inuyasha refused to say anymore on the matter, which she took to mean that he either doesn't know any more than he's told her or there's something that he doesn't want her to know.

* * *

As it turned out, Kaede wasn't available, having gone to the next village over at the request of the village head for an illness that had left many of their best under the weather.

Kagome found herself sandwiched between Human Inuyasha and Youkai Inuyasha as Sango informed the group that her search for information about inu youkai was not as fruitful as she had hoped. In fact, the scrolls she found that mentioned inu youkai at all didn't offer any information that they didn't already know.

"I do have a theory," she supplied, noticing the downcast looks around her. "Inuyasha split the morning after the new moon, because his thoughts were divided, right? Is it possible that if he can come to a resolution before the next new moon, that he should return to normal?"

Kagome dared glance at the human to her right. What Sango said hadn't sounded too far off from what Human Inuyasha had told her that afternoon that they had put her new bed together. _'Does Inuyasha know this? Is that what he's keeping from me? What could possibly be so bad that he can't tell me?'_

"That's still nearly two weeks' time before we can get back on the road – provided it even works." Inuyasha was not thrilled.

"Maybe if you'd accept what we've been trying to convince you of for months now and do something about it, we'd return to normal."

"Dammit, I have to agree with the human, Hanyou."

Inuyasha wanted to protest, especially with the questioning look that Kagome threw at him, but the glow of the soul collector that entered the hut caught everyone's attention instead.

"Kikyo…" Kagome muttered, watching the soul collector float around the main area of the hut, completing a circle before leaving. Inspiration struck suddenly, and Kagome shot to her feet shouting "Kikyo!" in excitement. She reached and grabbed Inuyasha's hand as she headed for the entrance, knowing that the other two halves would follow.

For Inuyasha, being drug to see Kikyo was a first. With everything going on, he was planning to ignore the summons. He knew from past experiences that leaving to see Kikyo had upset Kagome, and things were already strange enough. He didn't have to turn his head to see the human and youkai following closely behind. All he could hope for was that the youkai didn't try to do anything that would risk him getting purified.

* * *

In the clearing, Kikyo had watched as the soul collector she had sent to retrieve Inuyasha returned, swirling around her like a pet before ascending into the tree tops. She was surprised when her senses picked up not one, but four unique signatures just before they appeared from the depths of the trees. There was Inuyasha, and for some reason he was being brought along behind her reincarnation. What was stranger was the duplicates that followed behind them, dressed in a manner that resembled what her "copy" deemed was normal.

Kikyo masked her features as the four came to a stop before her. While she was curious as to the reason for four appearing, she also knew that Kagome would be keen to divulge her.

"Sorry," Kagome apologized, "But we have a problem, and we can't figure out how to fix it. We were kinda hoping you might know something." And then Kagome fell into the story of how it happened, omitting elements where necessary. She left out the secret of the new moon, and how both human and youkai appeared naked in the hut, or how the youkai called her their mate. She most definitely dared not tell of the attention she had been getting from said halves, as that was akin to rubbing an ex-girlfriend's face in it. Kikyo may have annoyed Kagome for multiple reasons, but that was something she couldn't do.

Then Kikyo had started laughing. Hard.

Youkai Inuyasha had since reclined on the ground behind them, bored and wishing that they could leave. Human Inuyasha was annoyed, feeling like their plight wasn't all that funny. Inuyasha could only stand there next to Kagome and try not to blush from mortified embarrassment.

Once she managed to control herself again, Kikyo looked directly at Kagome and said, "The answer that Inuyasha seeks is already before him." It wasn't hard to figure out. Both the human and youkai halves had positioned themselves to flank Kagome, and she was surprised the younger girl hadn't realized the implications of it yet.

"See, even Kikyo agrees with what we've been trying to tell you!"

"Listen to the dumbass for once, Hanyou!"

'_I wish someone would tell me what the answer is!'_ Kagome thought bitterly. It was upsetting that Kikyo knew the answer, and from how Inuyasha was glaring at his counterparts, he definitely knew and refused to tell her. Feeling this upset was almost as bad as when she initially assumed that Inuyasha had still cared as deeply for Kikyo even after her death. _'I thought we were past this, that Inuyasha could tell me anything… Maybe all the things that his human and youkai selves has shown me is just a pipe dream.'_

"Why do you struggle with this answer, Inuyasha?" Kikyo turned to him now. The reactions from the other three, particularly Kagome, had been eye opening. "It appears that your youkai and human sides have come to an understanding. Tell me, do you feel that your debt to me has hindered you?"

"What? Kikyo-"

"You are clearly using your debt to me as an excuse to avoid what your heart tells you to do." Kikyo's expression never changed from its neutral state as she spoke. She had known that Inuyasha's affections for her had ended long ago, that his duty to avenge her death spoke more of the guilt he harbored for not being able to prevent her death in the first place. It was one of the things about her reincarnation that had pissed her off, that she had ultimately been replaced in his heart for the one who had broken the jewel. There were many things about Kagome that pissed her off, if she were honest with herself, but the biggest had to be that the girl was able to continue on with her life and experience the things she never would. Kikyo spared the briefest of glances at Kagome before looking back at Inuyasha. "Your vow was to avenge my death by killing Naraku. The time I have been granted would be better spent seeking Naraku, not dealing with your guilty conscience. Remember that, Inuyasha."

With those words, Kikyo turned and left the clearing, disappearing into the trees with her soul collectors. Youkai Inuyasha had stood up and moved to Kagome's side, watching the hanyou with an unwavering gaze.

'_Does she know? Fuck, is it so obvious that even Kikyo could tell?!'_

Inuyasha had a lot to think about.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I needed to pop in with a note that from here on out there is a good chance that the chapter you're reading here is a modified version of the original. This chapter isn't too bad, but there will be a couple for certain that I won't be able to post here without toning it down. Nothing will be cut out, cause it's part of the story, but I can't give all the dirty details since it goes past an M rating.**

* * *

"I can't help but wonder if Kagome was upset about Kikyo appearing again," Sango untucked her legs and stretched them out before her.

Miroku adjusted the fishing pole in his hands, studying the line. "Perhaps it's not the visit that has upset her, but the results that came from the visit."

It had been a week since they had seen Kagome or Inuyasha. When they came back to the hut, Kagome looked disappointed and Inuyasha wasn't talking. Strangely enough, neither were the human nor the youkai that followed them, but they would shoot their hanyou part looks that left him grumpy for the rest of the day. Something had happened, and not necessarily good. After that, Kagome announced that she was going to return home the next day, seeming to remember that her grandfather was due to receive a shipment of items for the shrine's gift shop, and he would need help moving and sorting boxes.

Shippo had been disappointed to hear this, as Kagome had said that she intended to stay for a few days, but she promised to bring him back some sweet treats.

The fox kit was walking along the river bank with Kirara a ways away from the monk and slayer when Kirara started to scratch. "Myoga, what's wrong?" The flea hopped from the top of the cat's head to Shippo's shoulder to avoid being kicked by a back foot.

"Has there been any word on Master Inuyasha's predicament being settled?"

"No," Shippo shook his head.

"This is not good," the flea was disheartened.

"I don't get what the big deal is." Shippo and Kirara started to walk again. He was familiar with the concept of mating fever among youkai that came of age, but he couldn't understand why Inuyasha was dragging his feet against it. To Shippo, it was a fact of life "Inuyasha should just tell Kagome that he loves her; it's obvious to everyone that he does."

"Does Kagome know?" Myoga asked.

"I…I don't think so. If she did, wouldn't she be happier? She probably thinks Inuyasha is still in love with Kikyo." _'Stupid Inuyasha. You say men shouldn't show their tears, but are you really a man if you can't tell a woman you're in love with her?'_

* * *

For the past week, it's become increasingly obvious that Inuyasha had gone out of his way to avoid being around Kagome. Not long after their return to the hut, he disappeared for hours, returning with enough wood cut and split for the entire village to share. In her time he would seek out Grandpa and do the odd jobs for him through the day. At night, if the weather was nice enough, he'd retire to the sacred tree or sleep on the roof. The one time it was raining, he had camped out in Souta's room.

It was starting to do a number on her self-esteem. Did she stink? Was she annoying? Had she used the beads one too many times? Was he just disgusted by her all of a sudden? Did seeing Kikyo again do this?

Each night another thought was added to the growing list, making it hard to fall asleep. _'And here I thought I'd have trouble sleeping between two guys.'_

Inuyasha knew that Kagome knew that he was doing everything he could to avoid being around her for too long. In a way, he had hoped that with time, she'd forget about what Kikyo had said. So he ran errands around the shrine for the old man, moved heavy containers from place to place, cleaned areas he couldn't reach, anything to keep him busy during the day. When he ran short of tasks, Mama was grateful for the assistance carrying her shopping bags up the shrine steps. He even asked Souta to teach him how to play those video games he enjoyed so much, to which the kid was eager to do. His nights were met with disappointment from Kagome as she watched him exit through the window, and frowns from his counterparts. The one time he stayed in Souta's room, he had never come back to Kagome's room to tell her. The youkai had overheard the boy excitedly chatting away to him as he passed by the closed door. The next morning, she wouldn't meet his eyes.

All of it, despite his best attempts, wasn't working. He had only wanted Kagome to forget about the answer Kikyo gave, but this wedge he was putting between them was only hurting her more. Ironic, since seeing Kikyo alone was the reason for her upset most times. This time though, it was all his doing, and he hated himself for it.

Souta, for all of the excitement over learning that Inuyasha had split into his human and youkai parts, was starting to see that very excitement wear off fast. Kagome had said a week ago that she was going through the well for a few days, only to come back the next day and not tell anyone why. Inuyasha and his counterparts had followed shortly after, and the only thing he could get out of either the youkai or human was that it was "something the hanyou needs to figure out himself".

Whatever it was, it was starting to show just how much it upset Kagome.

It was during a fighting game match that Souta got his chance to ask Inuyasha something important. "So have you gotten around to telling Kagome that you love her yet?"

Inuyasha stuttered, nearly dropping the controller. It gave Souta's character the perfect opening for a fatal hit, causing the pixelated body to explode in pieces on the screen.

"Guess not," the boy continued. "Why not? Does it have anything to do with that other girl?" His sister had mentioned that there was another girl, a miko, but that was about it.

With the "Game Over" sign filling the screen, Inuyasha set the controller down on the floor and crossed his arms. "It's not about Kikyo. It – it's me that's the problem. There's something that Kagome doesn't know about me, and I don't know if I can tell her. If I can't tell her this, then I can't say…_that_."

"What is it about you that's holding you back? You know Kagome has no problem with you."

"It's…it's adult stuff, kid." He had once referred to Souta as a man, but he really didn't feel comfortable talking about this particular subject with a ten-year-old.

Luckily the boy didn't take offense. "What about Mom? She's an adult, and I know she wouldn't judge you for what you need to say."

* * *

Mama had suspected that the young man who had first stormed into her house nearly three years ago would become an important part of her daughter's life. Three months after that first appearance, she had had a feeling that he did not show as much disdain for her as he claimed. Six months from that day, she knew that he actually cared about Kagome. By the end of the first year of Kagome traveling back in time, she had known of her daughter's feelings and had a theory that those feelings were reciprocated.

As she looked at the nervous hanyou before her at the kitchen table, she knew without a doubt that she was right.

"If you are about to ask me for permission to court Kagome, you should really ask her," the older woman smiled. "I have no problem, of course."

Inuyasha's eyes widened and he felt his cheeks start to redden. "Well…that's…I mean… Actually…"

"Something is bothering you, isn't it? Does it have to do with your division?"

The hanyou nodded. "And Kagome, in a sense. I don't know what she told you, but…"

Mama reached across the table and lay a hand gently over his. "Then start from the beginning, if it will help, and I'll listen."

"O-okay. Well… youkai aren't so different from humans in that they have a point in their lifespan where they are considered mature. You know…to…breed," Inuyasha had to clear his throat and push himself on, or he'd never get it out. "For inu youkai…it's uh… spring… and there's this… _calling_ that only happens after the youkai has well, matured. It's called…it's…damn it. It's called mating fever!" He hadn't meant to blurt it out, really. He just hoped that nobody was nearby to hear him. "When mating fever sets in, youkai that experience it are driven to breed with their chosen mate. But if the youkai doesn't have a chosen mate, they're seeking them out. If they've found their chosen mate…they uh…c-claim them."

She patted the hand that she still held under her own, silently telling him to pause. "So you're considered an adult by youkai standards, then?" He nodded. "And you're going through this mating fever right now?" Another nod. "Does claiming your chosen mean what I think it means?"

Inuyasha was amazed that Mama was so calm as she talked. He knew she wasn't stupid, and had probably anticipated where this conversation was going, so he had expected her to blow up at him by this point. "To humans, it would be marriage, but with youkai, claiming can have different meanings. With inu youkai…when we find our chosen…and…c-claim them…it is for life. There will never be another for either of them. An inu youkai can have multiple partners before they find their chosen, but once they know…"

"It's like tunnel vision," Mama realized. "You have no desire for anyone else."

He nodded, not understanding the term, but she had guessed correctly.

"I take it that you've discovered Kagome is your chosen?"

"H-how-?"

"Call it mother's intuition," she smiled, patting his hand again. "How long have you known this?"

Inuyasha felt his face get hot again. "Since the day I met Kagome I knew. That's why I was such an ass; I knew if I let myself get close to her, she'd end up like Kikyo did."

Unlike Souta, Mama had heard the full story about Kikyo from Kagome, though she didn't believe for a second that Kagome could be so easily swayed. "Why have you not told Kagome?"

"Believe me, my other two halves have been pushing me to do that for months." He chose to leave out exactly how both attempted to wear him down, as it crossed into territory that her mother would rather not know. "I thought that if I could ignore it, that it would go away…but I didn't realize how strong this pull was. Up until lately, it wasn't this bad. I was able to put it out of my mind. That's why I split into my youkai and human forms, I think, because they're ready to move forward…"

"Do you think Kagome would reject you?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Maybe. The thing is…the…uh…claiming… it's permanent. There's no going back from it. It means I would have to- to mark Kagome- binding her soul with mine. I can't do that to her. She has a life here-"

"Kagome is nearly eighteen and almost finished with school," her mother interjected. "Soon enough she will legally be an adult in this world and can choose how she wishes to live her life. Children grow up and leave their families all the time to start their own, Inuyasha. It's a fact of life. I will be sad to see my daughter move on, of course, but knowing that she is happy is what matters the most. I could not and would not deny my children their happiness."

"Y-you mean…?"

"Yes. I'm giving you my blessing, Inuyasha. All I ask is that Kagome finish school before any talk of starting a family. Although," she added with a giggle, "I would love for my grandchildren to have those cute ears of yours!"

Inuyasha could only sputter in response, still not sure why Kagome's family was so fascinated by his ears. He had nodded and thanked her for her blessing, when he could find the will to talk again, before getting up and leaving the kitchen. He needed some time to think, and his trusty spot up in the sacred tree was just the place.

* * *

"I think you were wrong."

Kagome sat between the human and the youkai on the bed, feeling particularly lousy. Any other time, she would have enjoyed this, but right now…she just wanted to be left alone to wallow in self-pity. Over dinner, Inuyasha had actually spoken to her, so when the evening began to wind down, she was disappointed to find that he had no intention of staying in her room yet again.

Neither one of them were going to let her mope, however.

Human Inuyasha slipped his hand underneath her right one, intertwining their fingers. "Our hanyou side is struggling to accept what he knows is the truth."

"I still don't think he feels that way," she continued. "How come you two are so affectionate?" That thought had been bugging her since day one. Why would the youkai and human forms act the complete opposite of the hanyou, when they were all the same person?

"Because, _mate_," Youkai Inuyasha whispered against Kagome's ear, grinning when she shivered. "We know the truth and wish to go forward."

"F-forward?" _'I think you've been forward enough already…'_

"Do you remember me telling you that there were things I was not at liberty to say?" Human Inuyasha squeezed the hand he held. "I can tell you that our hanyou side shares our thoughts. Once he gets past his insecurities, I am certain he will tell you."

Kagome blinked. "Insecurities?" What could Inuyasha have to feel insecure about? She was the one that couldn't match up to Kikyo, and she told both this.

Youkai Inuyasha frowned. "You are nothing like her, and you should not begin to compare yourself to her. You are Kagome, and no one else. You should not compare yourself to anyone, for that matter."

"It's true though! Why would Inuyasha want me when there's better out there-"

"Enough," the youkai growled. "Do not make me repeat myself."

The human leaned forward enough to look around Kagome. "I can't believe that our chosen does not think herself desirable."

Youkai Inuyasha's lips turned into a smirk that Kagome wasn't sure if she liked. "Then we need to show her that she is…very…desirable."

Before Kagome could get a word out, she felt the human to her right move up the bed, resting against the pillows and bringing her to sit between his legs with her back against his chest. He had taken each of her hands within his, holding them tight as he wrapped his arms around her.

"You truly have no idea, do you?" he whispered against her ear, tickling her with his breath. He then kissed the skin just beneath, earning a squirm and a gasp.

Youkai Inuyasha had moved to sit before Kagome and the human, pushing her legs into a bent position where her feet lay flat on the bed. The bottom edge of her sundress slid upwards with the motion, which went unnoticed to the miko until she felt the claws trace light lines along bare skin. "Yes, let us prove to you just how desirable you are, Kagome."

Kagome's eyes widened as she looked down at the clawed fingers that were ticking the bare skin of her thighs. "I-Inuyasha-!" Any protest she was about to make was stifled by the gasp that came out as his hands disappeared underneath the fabric of the dress, now tracing the edge of her panties. _'What do I do?'_ she thought desperately. This could lead down a road that could either end wonderfully or in heartache on her part. "W-wait-"

Both human and youkai stilled their movements, looking at her.

"I…I don't know about this," she confessed lamely. "It doesn't seem right. You…you're both a part of Inuyasha… I don't want him to think I took advantage of him…"

Human Inuyasha let go of one of her hands and brought his fingers up to trace her jawline. "We would never go that far, Kagome. We only wish to bring you pleasure."

"Besides," the youkai added. "It should be the hanyou that is given that opportunity, even if we _are_ him. You deserve to be treated like a goddess, and we fully intend on worshipping you."

Kagome was cut off as the youkai leaned forward and captured her lips in a fierce kiss, nearly making her forget her previous concerns. She trusted Inuyasha, and by that logic that meant she trusted the youkai and the human she was currently pressed between. They had given her no reason to believe that they would push her further than she was willing, and right then her fantasies were screaming at her to enjoy herself. As she relaxed into the kiss, she felt the human behind her lean forward to kiss the column of her neck. _'Yeah. Probably won't have this opportunity again. Might as well enjoy it.'_

Youkai Inuyasha moved back, sitting on his heels as he slid his hands underneath Kagome's knees, pulling her towards him. Kagome let out a gasp as she felt his hands move from the back of her knees up the outside of her thighs and underneath her dress. There was a distinct tugging of fabric, and she shifted her hips without thinking as she felt the youkai slide her panties down her legs. She couldn't recall ever being so bold before, but then again, it wasn't often that a girl's crush divided into three forms. Especially with two that were hell-bent on pleasing her.

'_I can't believe I'm letting this happen. But…it feels…wonderful.'_

While the youkai was occupied with Kagome's undergarment, Human Inuyasha shifted Kagome's upper body so that she reclined in his lap. He'd bend to pepper her neck and shoulder with kisses, whispering words that left her looking almost as flushed as she was feeling. "You're so beautiful, Kagome. Your scent is intoxicating, and I don't think I could ever get enough." He spared a look at the youkai, who nodded to him. They had come to a silent agreement in that moment; this was for Kagome, and they would both show her what she meant to them.

Kagome had to bite her lip as she felt the pointed claws trace a part of her body she had never thought would be explored by Inuyasha. By first glance they could be terrifying, but she knew better. They were strong, but their lethalness lay in the force that was applied. She had run her fingers across them many times to prove to Inuyasha that he wouldn't hurt her, and she knew the youkai's longer ones were no different. In all honesty, what he was doing tickled, which left her body tingling, which made her want to moan out loud for something a lot more substantial.

"You like that, do you?" he chuckled, moving to lay down on his stomach. Her scent had spiked, making him want to drive into her until they were both sated, but he knew better. _'Fucking hanyou had best make up his fucking mind,'_ the youkai thought with a groan. Kagome's scent on a normal day made him want to throw caution to the wind, but when she was aroused… _'Focus – this is for Kagome!'_ Youkai Inuyasha parted her legs a little wider as he scooted forward, giving him better access to her center.

When he had disappeared between her legs, Kagome let out a whimper. She knew what the youkai wanted to do, and by gods did she want it too! It was all she could do to not let her body shake with anticipation. But then, when she thought he was going to give her what she wanted, he changed his mind. Granted, the kisses and nips along her inner thighs was _wonderful_, but it wasn't what she _wanted_ right that second.

She let out another whimper.

"Patience," Youkai Inuyasha said, his breath ghosting across her heated flesh. He looked up in time to see Kagome's head fall back against his human form's chest with a groan. "Good things come to those who wait."

'_At this rate I won't ever- OH!'_

The feeling of the youkai's tongue running across her core instantly made Kagome forget everything else. Her hips bucked against him, and her hands tightened their grasp of Human Inuyasha's as he leaned forward and licked her again. It was slow and delicious and left her biting down on her bottom lip, else she let out a noise that would wake not only the household, but probably the neighborhood as well.

"You're so responsive, Kagome," the human holding her whispered huskily. "It almost makes me jealous that I have to follow the youkai."

Kagome felt her body still as she tried to look up at Human Inuyasha. _'He can't be serious!'_

He seemed to anticipate her thoughts. "Did you think the youkai would get to have all the fun? I intend on making you see stars as well."

'_Oh gods, he is serious!'_

Youkai Inuyasha, having noticed that the miko was distracted, decided that he wasn't being paid enough attention in that moment. He wanted her focus on him, not the human behind her. The human would get his chance later. He pressed his tongue flat along her opening as he licked once again, this time stopping at the small nub of flesh and flicking it with the tip of his tongue. The reaction from Kagome was instant; her hips bucked off the bed, and she would have not been able to hold back the noise of surprise if Human Inuyasha hadn't captured her lips with his. Not able to resist, he repeated the gesture, giving the nub of flesh more attention than before.

* * *

Inuyasha jumped down from the sacred tree as the last light in the Higurashi house went out. Everyone had turned in for bed, and he knew he should too. _'I wonder if Kagome would be willing to let me stay in her room again,'_ he thought, walking across the yard. Any other time he would have crossed the distance in no time, but he feared the possibility of her rejecting him. It was a stupid thought to have, as far as sleeping arrangements were concerned anyway. Ever since he had taken to staying in the tree or on the roof, Kagome had left her window open with the lamp light on the lowest setting, telling him that he was welcome to come back whenever he was ready.

'_And here I've been thinking that she'd hate me.' _

The truth of the matter was, Inuyasha couldn't handle Kagome rejecting him, in any way imaginable. He couldn't handle seeing her cry, but her denying a request of his could hurt worse than Kikyo thinking he had betrayed her. When it had occurred to him that Kagome's scent was _it_, that she was meant to be _his_, it had scared the hell out of him. He was still trying to process that Kikyo was the walking dead; he couldn't think about another girl like that. So he had tried to push her away, even literally, and it hadn't done him any good. He had only grown more attached, which scared him even more.

Of course, he now knew that while he had cared for Kikyo to a degree, it wasn't love so much as infatuation. It had taken falling for Kagome for him to understand that. Kikyo had died thinking he had betrayed her, and that had stung. But if it had been Kagome in that situation, it would have killed him.

'_Kagome's mother gave me her blessing, so I should be happy. I…I am… but I wish I knew how Kagome would react if I told her…'_

Inuyasha suspected that a big part of the reason he was split after the new moon had to do with his fear of the unknown. Both his human and youkai sides had tried for months to convince him that his fear was understandable but irrelevant. Hell, he knew Kagome cared about him to an extent, but to go so far as to say that she _loved_ him? That was hard to believe. Being mated to an inu youkai was a prickly situation if the partner wasn't of the same kind; not unheard of, but not very common. If someone were to have no knowledge of the customs of his kind and were propositioned as such…Inuyasha didn't expect an excited 'yes' as an answer.

'_She'd probably tell me to go back to my time and stay there,' _his ears drooped slightly_. 'In one go I'd manage to ruin my friendship with Kagome and fix it so she'd never want to come back.'_

Inuyasha stopped beneath Kagome's window and looked up. Just as he expected, the window was pushed open, and he could see a faint light from the side table. His doubting thoughts made him want to turn back and sleep in the tree, but a stray thought pushed through.

All of this time he had expected Kagome to react like he had imagined Kikyo would have, and _that_ was the problem. Kagome was nothing like Kikyo, so why did he expect her to treat him the same? Kagome never washed herself each time she rode on his back, trying to purify herself of being near a youkai. She had always bathed because she felt she was covered in dirt (or the occasional youkai remains). She didn't try to lead him to choose to be human or youkai; she liked him just as he was. Kagome never chastised him for his actions or language, unless it was called for. She rolled with his attitude and gave him back just as good as she got. Inuyasha didn't feel like he had to become something else to gain her approval; she had already given it to him at his worst.

'_Why am I so afraid then?'_ He snorted, bending to a crouch so he could leap up to her window. He perched on the short roof below her window, pulling himself up. _'She's probably asleep already. I'll see if I can get her alone tomorr-'_

Of all the things Inuyasha had ever expected to see when he came through Kagome's window, the sight on the bed before him was not on that list. He hadn't even swung his legs through the window when he caught sight of the three on the bed, and if he hadn't been white-knuckling the window sill, he would have lost his balance for certain.

The human side of him was reclined at the head of the bed, holding Kagome in his arms. He'd lean down and kiss her, on her lips, cheek, or neck, all the while whispering in her ear. His hands held hers tight, as if he feared she would try to get up away from him. Kagome never gave any sign she intended on moving. Her body was wedged between his and the youkai, who was laying on his stomach, holding her thighs apart with his hands.

Inuyasha couldn't see the youkai's face, as the bunched up sundress Kagome was wearing obscured him from his view, but he knew _exactly_ what the youkai was doing. He couldn't deny that had been one of his fantasies, but to see it play out between the two sides of him who weren't afraid of admitting what they felt, it made him sick. _'I've lost her,'_ he thought, unable to move forward to stop it or to leave. _'Why would Kagome want to be bound to a hanyou anyway?'_

He watched as the miko bucked and gasped at the attention she was receiving, and a small part of Inuyasha found himself jealous at these two parts that were giving her this pleasure. It should have been him! Maybe if he hadn't been so stubborn in admitting to himself that he loved her, he _would_ be the one in bed with her. It would be _his_ name she'd call out.

Wait.

"Inu…yasha…"

His ears twitched at the breathy sigh. _'Did she just-?'_

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's eyes were shut tightly as she arched on the bed, unable to hold in the moan that escaped her throat as the youkai brought her to release. "Oh! Inuyasha! Yes!"

'_She… she called…me!_' Inuyasha let go of the window sill and ducked down out of view. It wouldn't do for Kagome to see him right then, even if she was coherent enough. _'She called…me. She. Called. My. Name.'_ It made his heart swell in that moment, knowing for certain now that she really did see him as Inuyasha, not as a hanyou, human, or youkai. She liked all of him.

Daring to peek over the edge of the window, he saw both of his counterparts trading places. His youkai side reclined against the headboard, bringing a euphoric miko to rest against his chest. He'd comb her hair out of her eyes and kiss her just as the human had. The human, on the other hand, was showing the rest of her body equal attention. It was apparent that he was drawing her arousal back to the surface, taking his time.

Inuyasha couldn't watch a repeat performance. He quickly jumped to the roof and settled into his spot above Kagome's window. Between what he had unintentionally seen, heard, and now smelled, his own body was reacting to Kagome's responses. He bit back a groan as his ears picked up on the first whimpers of his name from below.

No, he wouldn't be sleeping in her room tonight. Hell, he probably wouldn't be sleeping at all.

But first thing in the morning, he was going to have a talk with the human and youkai.


	10. Chapter 10

At the first signs of the occupants in Kagome's room waking up, Inuyasha jumped down from the roof to crouch in the window. As he suspected, it was only his youkai and human parts that had stirred, the miko between them sleeping soundly. _'I'm not surprised,'_ he thought, shaking his head as the images from the night before tried to take over.

The human yawned and rubbed his eyes as he sat up in the bed. The youkai, however, rolled over and met Inuyasha's glare with a toothy grin.

"Get up, assholes. We need to talk."

Inuyasha led them out through the window, not wanting to raise questions if anyone else was up and moving around the house. He looked around the shrine grounds, ultimately deciding against the well house, as he originally planned. It was too close to be overheard, so instead he led them into a cluster of trees not far from where the sacred tree sat. They'd be out of sight and hopefully out of hearing range for most. He turned back to the pair, looking equal parts tired and bored.

"What's the matter?" Youkai Inuyasha asked innocently. "Did you not sleep well? I slept _wonderfully-_"

"Shut it!" The hanyou hissed. "I've had it up to _here_ with you especially! After what you two did last night-"

"Wait, you saw that?" Human Inuyasha seemed to be more alert at that news. _'Well, I guess this is how I'll die.'_

It was a wonder the hiss Inuyasha let out didn't turn to a growl. "I saw _plenty_. Now where do you two get off thinking that you can take advantage of Kagome like that?!"

"Wait, wait, wait," the human cut in. "We _never_ pushed Kagome into anything! If she had said no, then we would have respected that!"

"Really, Hanyou. If you want to blame anyone, you might want to point the finger at yourself instead of us. This whole thing started because of _you_. You were the one that couldn't accept that the higher powers had brought Kagome to you as a chosen mate. You were the one that's been doing everything under the sun to push her away from you. You were the one that's been denying your instincts which led to us dividing. And from what we discerned last night, it was _you_ that has given Kagome such a low opinion of herself."

"What? How could I have done that?"

"Kagome doesn't think that she is desirable, Hanyou," the youkai continued. "She believes that you are still wrapped up in the love you thought you felt for Kikyo, and she does not think that she has a place in your heart. We've tried to convince her otherwise, but she told us that you would have no reason to choose her if there were better options-"

"That's ridiculous! This isn't so much a choice as it's instinctual!"

Human Inuyasha crossed his arms. "Perhaps if you had told her that, she wouldn't have been as upset as she was."

Inuyasha bit back another growl at the looks he was getting. "That's still no excuse for- for _that_ last night!"

"Oh, Human. Did you hear that? I do believe we struck a nerve."

"I can't imagine why. All we did was assure Kagome that she is very much desirable by worshipping her like the goddess she is."

"If I had to guess, I would say that it's because he missed out on the fun," the youkai grinned. "Is that it? You could have come into the room. Kagome wouldn't have turned you away-" At the change in the hanyou's expression, the smile fell from Youkai Inuyasha's face. "That's it, isn't it? You actually believe that Kagome would reject you."

Human Inuyasha glanced between the hanyou and the youkai, dumbfounded. "That's it?!"

"Just because you two assholes have no fear admitting your feelings doesn't mean I can so easily!" Inuyasha crossed his arms and stared at the ground. "Believe me, it's been on my mind far longer than you know. I don't think I could take it if Kagome were to reject me. Getting sucker-punched in the chest by Sesshomaru would hurt less."

"Alright, you dumbass, listen good. Last night should have been enough proof that your fears are unfounded. Kagome didn't say 'human' and she damn sure didn't say 'youkai' either. She said _your name_. Your. Name. We may have been the ones pleasing her, but we're only a part of you. What Kagome really wants is you, and the sooner you can get that to sink in the sooner we'll all be happy."

The youkai sniffed the air experimentally, declaring that he smelled the beginnings of breakfast being made, and walked back to the house. The human patted Inuyasha's shoulder reassuringly as he walked by. There wasn't anything left to say. Either Inuyasha would figure it out, or he wouldn't.

* * *

"You know, since the weather is so nice, I think it would be good to take advantage of it." Mama continued to bring food to the table as she talked. "Grandpa, what do you think about visiting that shrine in Osaka this week? Souta could visit the Universal Studios-"

"I'm for it!" Souta blurted out excitedly.

Grandpa rubbed his chin, looking across the table at his granddaughter and the three sides of the youkai she'd declared her best friend. "Will you be alright, Kagome?"

Kagome set down the cup she had been about to drink from. "Why wouldn't I, Grandpa? We're going to figure out how to turn Inuyasha back into one person, and then we'll be back to looking for jewel fragments."

Mama looked around the table and thought it best to cut in before her father-in-law said what he was thinking. She knew _exactly_ what he was thinking, but she didn't want Inuyasha's feelings to be hurt. This would be the perfect opportunity for him to open up and tell Kagome everything, and he wouldn't need to have the older man's reflex opinions lingering in his mind. "Actually, I think Kagome will be just fine," she said with a smile. "I can't imagine anything bad happening to Kagome while we're gone."

Inuyasha gifted the woman with a smile of gratitude. He knew the old man didn't mean half the things he said anymore; he had proven multiple times that Kagome was safe during their travels.

"Of course, we'll probably be gone through the rest of the holiday break. I'm sure Souta will want to see every part of Universal Studios," Mama said thoughtfully. "So, you'll be on your own here at the house…"

The hanyou stilled as her words sunk in. The rest of the family would be gone for a week. A week alone with Kagome. _'She planned this!'_ he thought, praying he wasn't visibly blushing. _'She never mentioned anything before that talk!' _As embarrassing as it was to realize that his potential mate's mother was giving him an opening to speak with said mate…among other things…he was grateful.

* * *

For once, Kagome was by herself, and she had no idea what to do to fill up the time. With no school and no makeup work to complete, that opened up her whole day.

She made her bed, tidied her desk, and for good measure went through each of her clothing drawers and straightened those up as well. That managed to only kill about 10 minutes, which left her standing in the middle of her room, feeling lost.

'_Now what do I do?' She dropped down into her desk chair._

'_You could always look for the human or the youkai,'_ a part of her mind suggested. _'I'm sure either would be more than willing to help cure your boredom. Or both. I know you'd like that.'_

"S-shut up! How do you even know what I want?" Kagome blurted out loud.

'_I'm part of you, 'Gome.'_ If her naughty thoughts could, they'd be grinning right then. _'After last night, it's obvious what you want.'_

Kagome felt her face heat up just thinking about what she allowed to happen. "Just because they did – _that_ – last night doesn't mean anything-"

'_The both of them went to town – downtown I should say – on you. Neither one of them expected anything from you in return. They did that for you. If you asked, they'd do it again, and then some. You have a book's worth of dirty fantasies to play through, 'Gome.'_

"That's personal!" She hissed, forgetting she was arguing with herself.

'_I'll say. I wonder what Inuyasha would say if he knew that his innocent little miko wasn't as innocent as she appeared? Oh, I bet it would excite him-'_

Kagome was seconds away from telling her thoughts to go to hell, when a knock on her door got her attention. "Come in- Inuyasha?"

The hanyou came into the room and closed the door. He could still smell the faint scent of the previous night's activities and willed himself to not show that he knew. If Kagome knew… "Can we talk?"

"Yeah, of course." Kagome waited a beat to see if the human or youkai had followed. Inuyasha noticed.

"The youkai's helping your gramps move inventory into that gift shop, and my human half went to the store with your mother and Souta. Said she wanted to make sure we had enough to eat while they're gone." Inuyasha crossed the room and sat down on the floor next to Kagome's desk. "That's part of the reason I wanted to talk."

'_Oh god! He knows what we did! He's probably furious and-'_

"I'm sorry that I've been avoiding you."

'_Huh?'_

Inuyasha was looking down at his hands and didn't see her bewildered expression. "I wasn't trying to stay away. I just…needed time to think."

"Look, Inuyasha, if this is about your youkai and human selves…I can tell them to stay back if that will make you feel better."

"What? Are they bothering you, Kagome?" _'If I find out those bastards forced her-'_

"No, not at all! I only thought….well…I thought it bothered you."

The hanyou's cheeks turned pink. "What bothers me is that they're so…open." Before she could say anything else, Inuyasha took her hands in his. "Kagome let me say this before I lose my nerve. I…c-care about you…a lot. My youkai half, back when he called you mate…he…he wasn't wrong."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat. She knew he cared about her, but the way he said it just then implied so much more. "Inuyasha," she squeezed his hands. "Are you…trying to tell me…what I think…"

He nodded. "You're…oh hell, Kagome – you're my chosen mate!" The pink had transitioned to red, but he kept going. "One thing I didn't tell you about inu youkai mating fever is that we know our chosen by scent. When I woke up on that tree, I knew."

'_All this time?'_ "How come you never said anything?"

"Would you have believed me?" Inuyasha already knew the answer. "I hoped I was wrong at the time. I had slept for fifty years and I get the spell broken by what I thought had been another Kikyo. Like hell I was gonna say anything with the way you used these beads back then. I thought if I ignored it, it would go away."

'_I can't say I blame him. We didn't have the best start.'_ "Do you still wish you were wrong?"

"Fuck no!"

"Then how come you haven't said anything while I've been home?" Without thinking, Kagome let go of Inuyasha's hand to reach up and rub the base of his ear. Inuyasha tilted his head slightly, leaning into her touch.

"Because I was afraid to," he murmured, clearly enjoying the ear rub. "I didn't know how you'd react. There are too many things against us…it isn't fair to you, 'Gome."

"Like what?" Now both of her hands were rubbing his ears. Inuyasha had scooted next to her chair, resting his head in her lap as she continued the massage.

"We're from two different times. I'm hanyou. You'd be a bigger target for Naraku. I could destroy your life…take your pick."

"Okay one – time is neither here nor there. Two – I love you just the way you are. Three – I'm already a target for Naraku because I can sense the jewel fragments. And four – how could you destroy my life when you're busy protecting it?"

Inuyasha lifted his head up slightly. "Being the mate of a youkai – even a hanyou – is socially dangerous. My mother caught hell when she had me. Not many had the balls to insult her to her face, but I could hear the things she couldn't when she turned her back."

"Who would say anything?"

He shrugged. "Anyone." The villagers were becoming used to his presence, now that they understood part of the truth of what happened fifty years prior. He wasn't sure they'd be too keen on him taking Kagome as his mate, but he knew for certain that traveling elsewhere would be met with disgust if they knew. At least he had her mother's blessing-

'_When did we start talking about this like it's gonna happen?'_ "Kagome," he swallowed, "this…this chosen mate stuff…this doesn't bother you?"

Kagome never stopped rubbing his ears as she said, "Of course not! Inuyasha, I love you."

He almost forgot how to breathe. _'She loves me?'_ "You…mean that?" It felt too good to be true.

She slid out of the chair and settled into the hanyou's lap. "I have for a while now, Inuyasha." She slipped her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead against his. "Whether you're hanyou, human, or youkai, I love you."

Inuyasha tightened his hold on her. "Nothing has to come of it, Kagome – I don't expect-"

"But Myoga said that if you didn't accept it for what it was, you'd be pushed to-"

"And that ain't gonna happen."

"Inuyasha…"

"Kagome," he sighed. "There's a few things that I haven't told you about what it means when an inu youkai claims their mate. The mark…well…that's supposed to happen when…"

As much as she tried to hide her smile, it was inevitable that he'd see it. When he looked at her questioningly, she said that it was cute to see him get so flustered. "How would the youkai side of you word it? Will that help?"

Inuyasha nearly matched his fire rat robes. He knew exactly what he'd say, but he couldn't bring himself to say that. Not yet. "Once I've taken you, and when we're about to…finish…is when I would mark you." One hand left her waist and gently touched the curve of her neck. "About here. I'd…uh…bite you."

'_Oh, kinky…'_ The naughty side of Kagome's thoughts came out. _'He may like it rough then!'_

"What does that do?" Kagome asked, trying to focus on his voice and not her thoughts. That one claw ticking the skin of her neck wasn't helping either.

"It binds our souls, to put it simply. You'd have to do the same. Some only mark the female, to show that she's been claimed and off limits, but to both wear the mark-"

"Oh, that must be like exchanging rings in this time."

"Y-yeah, except the souls blend. Since you're human, taking my mark would cause you to age slower, like me. You could gain some strength and speed through our bond, at the very least healing would increase."

Kagome bumped her nose against his. "Why do you sound so anxious, Inuyasha? This doesn't sound like a bad thing."

"It's permanent, Kagome. There's no going back."

She had been about to say something else, but his tone made her change her mind. "Inuyasha? Do you not want me to do this? Cause you're acting like it's a death sentence for me."

Inuyasha stifled a groan as she shifted in his lap. Kagome's closeness was starting to affect him, and worse still he wanted to give in. "Kagome…I want nothing more right now than for you to say yes, but…I want you to think about it. Really think about this. Don't think about doing it to help me, or for any other reason than what _you_ want. I don't want you to think that you're required to do this because you're my chosen. If you decide that you would rather stay like we are, I'll be fine with that. But I don't want you to feel like you've been pushed into anything that you weren't ready for or didn't want at all."

Kagome blinked back the stray tears that started to creep up at his words. "Then I'll wait and give you my answer," she told him. The smile he wore at her words in turn made her smile.

"Not that I'm trying to sway your decision or anything, but…I love you too, Kagome."

A tear did slide down her cheek then, not that she noticed or cared. She may have said that she'd wait to give her answer, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to kiss him. It didn't last long, much to her disappointment; a groan from Inuyasha and his hands at her hips pushing her back had her asking what was wrong.

"I want to be a selfish bastard and say to hell with it all," he replied with a toothy grin. He really wanted to give in, but he knew he'd never forgive himself if he didn't give her the courtesy of time. Kagome laughed, so he knew she wasn't too upset about it.

* * *

"We'll be leaving in the morning, I think. Will you and Inuyasha be alright for breakfast?"

Kagome took the plate her mother had given her to dry. "Yeah, I'll take care of it." Stacking it with the clean dishes, she waited. "Inuyasha…told me something earlier…"

Mama paused in her washing after she handed her daughter a glass. She had a feeling she knew what was coming, if the talk she had with him was any indication. "Does he make you happy?"

"Huh?" Kagome looked at her mother. "Of course. He also drives me crazy, and he can lack tact sometimes, but Inuyasha makes me happy. I can't imagine him not being in my life now." _'As strange as that seems, considering we couldn't stand each other in the beginning…'_

Mama picked up the next dish and resumed washing. "Then that's what matters most, don't you think? As long as you both are happy, careful, and safe, then everything will happen as it should."

Kagome wasn't sure if her mother was referring to their travels in the feudal era or something more intimate. _'That's as good as any blessing though,'_ she thought.

"And besides," her mother added, "There will be plenty of time for grandchildren after you've finished school. Oh, I really hope they have his cute ears!"

"M-mama!" She nearly dropped the glass she was holding. Secretly, Kagome hoped for the same thing.

* * *

Youkai Inuyasha stretched out on the bed, watching Kagome move around the room. Ever since he had finished helping the old man, he noticed that the hanyou and his mate weren't avoiding each other. In fact, he caught them smiling at each other when they thought no one was looking. He saw the small gestures the hanyou would make, like he was restraining himself. He smirked. _'Restraint is the last thing that numbskull needs.'_

The point was, something significant had occurred and he had missed it.

The youkai grunted as a foot connected with his shin. Human Inuyasha made a point of kicking him again as he crawled across the bed. "Shove over. Kagome will need room."

"Then sleep on the floor, Human."

"There'd be enough room if you weren't spread out."

Youkai Inuyasha saw fit to blatantly adjust himself in his sweatpants as he said, "Our mate has plenty of room, more if she wants to be on top-"

Kagome squeaked, knowing he said that on purpose, but _still_. She had gotten an eyeful of seeing him adjust himself on the bed when she turned around. Yes, she had seen him naked, but that didn't make his gesture any less surprising. She spun back around as the door opened. "You are so lucky that I don't want to buy a new bed again."

Inuyasha stepped into the room to find Kagome blushing, his youkai side making a perverse gesture, and his human side face-palming. "What did you do?" He glared at the youkai.

"What makes you think it was me?"

"When isn't it you?" Both Kagome and Inuyasha said at once.

The youkai had attempted to feign a hurt expression, but it didn't stay for long. He waited until the other occupants in the room stopped sending him accusatory stares before asking, "So have you fucked yet?"

Before the hanyou could react, Human Inuyasha had taken the closest pillow and proceeded to beat the youkai senseless with it. Inuyasha had reached for his arms, telling the human to not stop swinging.

A peal of laughter took the three by surprise. Kagome was bent over laughing at the spectacle, it was just too funny! When she was able to calm herself, she had to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "You can't say you didn't deserve that," she said, sighing as she caught her breath. "And if you must know, no we haven't."

Inuyasha took the pillow from the human and swung it at the youkai once more for good measure.

"How come? With the way you two have been smiling at each other I would have thought you would have fucked our mate senseless – ow! Fuck!"

Human Inuyasha grabbed another pillow and landed a hit square in the face. "Kagome is right here you asshole!" Try not to be so damn crude!"

Kagome couldn't suppress the laughter as human and hanyou continued to hit the youkai with the pillows. She finally found it in herself to move to the bed and reach for the "weapons". "Since you really want to know," she stared, holding the pillows out of reach, "Inuyasha and I talked, and he told me the truth about everything. We admitted our feelings, and that's it."

"That's it?!"

"I'd ask what more you want, but you made that abundantly clear," Human Inuyasha scoffed.

"On the contrary, I've barely scratched the surface."

Kagome bopped the youkai with both pillows. "Inuyasha asked me to think about it." She climbed over him and settled into the bed. The hanyou followed, punching him in the leg as he took his spot.

"I think that's a fine decision, Kagome."

Youkai Inuyasha snorted as he turned onto his side, throwing an arm over Kagome's waist. "I think you're a kiss-ass, Human."

"As long as I ain't kissing your ass."

Inuyasha smacked both his counterparts. "Go. To. Sleep." He growled.

Kagome tried not to giggle at Inuyasha arguing with himself. She felt the youkai move in closer as sleep started to set in. the last thing she heard was him whisper, "I already know your answer."


	11. Chapter 11

Early the next morning, Mama, Souta, and Grandpa had packed the car and prepared to set out for Osaka. "Best to beat the morning commute," Grandpa had said.

Mama had pulled Kagome aside, reminding her of their talk yesterday. "I trust that both of you will be careful," she said. Kagome suspected she was keeping the topic vague to avoid Souta or Grandpa overhearing. "I guess it's a good thing you have a refilled prescription. You know, just in case….your _travels_ keep you away for longer than you expected."

Kagome wanted the ground to swallow her up right then. She had gotten on the pill a while back to regulate her cycle and nothing more. Her mother finding the silver lining in that decision was just too much. "Mama…"

"Okay, I'll stop teasing!" Mama laughed as she pulled Kagome into a hug. "I already gave Inuyasha my blessing," she said gently. "I told him that I expect one day you won't be calling this place home anymore, and that's okay. I want you to be happy, wherever your life takes you. Just, stop in from time to time, if you can."

"Of course." _'I don't know why she's saying this now. I do plan on finishing high school!'_

Mama gave her daughter another squeeze before stepping back. "Sorry, I had to get that out of the way. If I waited until your graduation, we'd both be sobbing!" She absentmindedly combed back a strand of Kagome's hair. "Alright, we best be going. If we don't see you when we get back, have a safe trip. I hope that Inuyasha gets better, and it's been a pleasure to get to know his human and youkai sides. Don't let him think any less of himself dear. I've enjoyed your visit, even under the circumstances."

Kagome stood at the doorway and waved to her family as they climbed into the car and left. She let out a sigh as they disappeared, before she turned and went back into the house. _'Alone with Inuyasha,'_ she thought, walking to the kitchen. _'Can't say that's happened in a long-GAH!'_

She had been so distracted she hadn't seen Youkai Inuyasha in the kitchen, leaning against the counter.

"Good morning, Kagome," he purred.

"G-good morning." Hand to her chest, Kagome could feel her ribcage practically vibrating from her pounding heartbeat.

"Did I scare you?"

"No…no…I wasn't expecting anyone else to wake up. I didn't-"

Youkai Inuyasha shook his head. "As much as the hanyou claims to not need rest, he still requires more than me. Besides," he pushed off the counter and approached her. "How can I sleep without my mate by my side?"

Damn blush. How could she still blush after the other night? "Why do you do that?"

"Do what? I only state what's true."

"You act like I've made up my mind-"

"I know you have." He took her hands in his. "I've known for far longer than you'd care to admit what your decision is. You would have told us no otherwise, when we sought to prove to you your desirability."

Kagome could feel the heat travel down her neck and across the exposed skin of her pajama top neckline. "Yeah, well…what if I changed my mind?" She didn't want to admit he was right so early in the morning.

Youkai Inuyasha grinned. "If you had changed your mind, your scent wouldn't be screaming for us to take you." As if to prove his point, he leaned down and barely brushed his lips against hers. When Kagome made a noise of protest, he suppressed the urge to chuckle. He'd rather kiss her anyway.

She hadn't been aware she had even made a noise until she stepped back moments later to see his smirk. "Don't be a tease this early in the morning," she mumbled. "Well since you're awake, you want to help me with breakfast?"

* * *

Inuyasha's ears twitched as he slowly woke up, taking in he sounds – or lack thereof – of the occupants in the bed. Confused, he opened his eyes and looked around. His youkai was gone. So was Kagome.

Now more alert, Inuyasha sat up and began swatting at his human side's leg. "Get up! They're gone!"

Human Inuyasha groaned and threw an arm over his eyes.

"Will. You. Get. The. Fuck. Up!" Each word was enunciated with a slap to the leg.

The human groaned again, sitting up and glaring at the hanyou. "Will. You. Stop. Hitting. Me." He mocked, returning the gesture. The hanyou wasn't fazed, getting up off the bed.

"Kagome's gone," Inuyasha explained. "And so's the youkai."

"And why did this warrant waking me up?"

"She knows everything, remember? What if he talks her into – What if she-"

"You do remember this is Kagome you're talking about, right? This is the same woman who didn't let a tree in the well stop her from crossing over."

"Just get the hell up and help me look for them!"

Human Inuyasha swung his legs over the edge of the bed as the hanyou all but ran out the door. "I'm gonna be so glad once you get laid…" He was over how antsy the hanyou had become.

"I heard that!" came from the hallway.

'_Fuck!'_ "I meant for you to!" he snapped back, going to the door.

* * *

Making breakfast with Youkai Inuyasha was an experience. Once she convinced him that they had food and there was no need to hunt, Kagome was able to start cooking. Kagome felt a pang of sympathy for him; he still couldn't fathom the concept of grocery stores providing meat. To give him something to appease him, she asked him to cook the bacon and sausage links. It wasn't hunted and cleaned like he would have done, but cooking it would still count as providing for his mate, wouldn't it?

Then there was _that_. She was Inuyasha's mate. He loved her. Kagome wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

Of course, Youkai Inuyasha saw to it to remind her that she wasn't dreaming. Like right then, for example. He'd stepped away from his spot at the oven to stand behind Kagome. Clawed hands gripped her hips as he leaned down to lightly nip at the curve of her shoulder.

"C-cut that out…" It was hard to be taken seriously when even she could tell she didn't mean it.

"You like it."

"Maybe so, but…I…ugh…I'd also like to eat…"

"Funny," Youkai Inuyasha licked the shell of her ear, "So would I."

The hands that were caressing her hips slid down, nudging each leg apart gently. Kagome obliged willingly. Youkai Inuyasha's lips continued to pepper kisses and the occasional nip along her neck and shoulder.

Kagome bit her lip and tried not to moan, but she was failing. The little bites along her neck promised something she tried not to think about, and his claws skimming her inner thighs made her spread her feet further apart. She couldn't be sure if she was trying to dodge his touch or if she was trying to direct him elsewhere. When Youkai Inuyasha began to suck on a particularly sensitive spot, she suddenly didn't care. Her back arched and his hands were back at her hips, pulling her back into him and the hardness she felt hidden in his sweatpants. That time she couldn't hold in her moan, or how she drew out his name afterwards.

Perhaps if she hadn't been so distracted by Youkai Inuyasha grinding against her, she might have heard the hanyou and human sides come down the stairs.

"Get off of her!" Inuyasha yelled.

The youkai looked up at Inuyasha but didn't move away from Kagome. "I don't see what the problem is. Kagome doesn't seem to mind."

"It's too early for your shit," Human Inuyasha stated, moving to the oven to turn the food so it wouldn't burn. "I got woken up because of _you_ and you've been down here trying to coax Kagome back into bed-"

"Not true. I was merely giving our mate an appetizer-"

"And I told Kagome yesterday that I didn't want her to make any rushed decisions!"

Blushing hotly and still pressed against Youkai Inuyasha's erection, Kagome cleared her throat. "Not for nothing, but…I already have my answer."

"You do?" Human and hanyou looked at her in surprise.

"Yeah." A slight nudge, and Kagome was able to put some distance between her and the youkai. Despite her best efforts, her eyes still darted downwards, confirming what she felt. _'Of course he's not trying to hide it. Why would he?'_ she noted with sarcasm.

"Kagome…"

"Inuyasha, I know what you're going to say." She turned back to finishing breakfast. "I've thought about it, and I've made my decision. That's it."

"That's it?" Human Inuyasha repeated. "What's your decision?"

"I don't want to know," Inuyasha cut in. "Not right now." He couldn't be sure which way Kagome's choice would lead, but it was far too early to find out.

* * *

After breakfast, Kagome had decided to spend some time alone, and the only way she could accomplish this was to soak in the bath. Youkai Inuyasha had gotten her so worked up that she was close to yelling when Inuyasha came downstairs. She was so close to something wonderful, as a wandering hand disappeared between her legs that she imagined was his…

SCRATCH. SCRATCH. SCRATCH.

Kagome closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. Her fingers were doing an alright job of it, but it didn't compare to-

SCRATCH. SCRATCH. SCRATCH.

'_Ignore it. It'll stop.'_ Her fingers increased their pace, trying to mimic _that_ night. A whimper tried to escape, and Kagome bit her lip. _'Almost…almost-'_

SCRATCH. SCRATCH. SCRATCH.

"INUYASHA!" Her voice echoed off the walls and the scratching stopped. "Get away from the door!"

She thought he left and was about to return to the matter at hand when he spoke.

"How much longer?"

Kagome tried not to groan. "Why?"

"I'm lonely." A pause. "Can I come in?"

"What? No!"

"Why not?"

"Because I'm trying to take a bath!"

"And the pattern of the water's movements isn't suggesting some other…naughty activities, my little minx?"

She froze. _'No way. There is no way he knows-'_

"If you'd let me come in there I could help-"

"SIT BOY!"

From the other side of the bathroom door, Human Inuyasha was bent over laughing at the youkai who had been face-planted into the floor. Kagome emerged minutes later, wet hair plastered to her bathing yukata and a deep frown across her face. She stepped over the youkai and started down the hallway, only to gasp and double-back.

"Inuyasha! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it, I swear!" _'How could I have forgotten?!'_

The hanyou pulled himself up on his elbows and just stared at Kagome. She had to have thrown the bathing yukata on in a rush, because it didn't look like she had stopped to dry her hair at all. The thin, white fabric was quickly becoming translucent from the shoulders down. '_Don't stare. Don't stare. Don't stare-'_

Kagome was still apologizing when he tuned back in. "I was just so mad at your youkai side because he wouldn't stop scratching on the bathroom door – I'll make it up to you, Inuyasha. The next time you do something where I would say -that- I won't say it. I wont even threaten to use the beads. Even if it's Koga that shows up."

His eyes widened, as did the human's behind her. "You're serious."

She nodded.

"By any chance is this promise stackable, cause I can't guarantee he won't do that again."

"Asshole," the youkai mumbled from the bathroom door.

"Dumbass!" Inuyasha bit back.

Kagome laughed despite herself. "I'm going upstairs to get dressed – alone," she added, pointedly looking at the youkai. Spinning on her heel, she started towards the stairs, blotting at the ends of her hair with her towel.

Inuyasha turned to look at his human half, who was still snickering at the youkai. "Go check on Kagome."

Human Inuyasha stopped laughing. "Why me?"

"She's less likely to get mad at you," Inuyasha pointed out.

"She also said she wanted to be left alone," the human reminded him. "These beads may not work on me, but Kagome has one hell of a throwing arm."

Inuyasha had a flashback of her trashcan hitting him square in the face when he stormed into her room buck naked. He jerked a thumb at the youkai picking himself off the floor. "Look – she doesn't want him following her. Right now Kagome would be more likely to open the door for you than anyone."

Human Inuyasha pressed his lips together. It still didn't feel like a good idea. "Fine. But I get to hit you with whatever Kagome throws at me."

"Feh. You can try."

* * *

"I can't believe him – really!" Kagome slammed the drawer closed. She couldn't believe Youkai Inuyasha would sink to scratching on the door. "Buyo doesn't even do that anymore!"

A knock on the door nearly made her drop the panties she was holding. "Kagome?"

"Inuyasha?" She pulled her bathing yukata a little tighter before she opened the door. Human Inuyasha stood there, looking as if he were prepared to run. Or duck.

"I wanted to see if you were okay, after…well..."

Kagome didn't have to be reminded. "I'm…fine."

"Are you sure? You sounded pretty mad-"

"What? Oh, no…I wasn't…mad," Kagome motioned for him to come into the room before shutting the door. "Can I tell you something?" She sat down on the edge of the bed next to him.

"You can tell me anything, Kagome."

"Even if it's not…normal?" She sighed, deciding that if she were going to admit it out loud, the human next to her would be the one who might understand best. "I'm not mad at your youkai side, Inuyasha. I'm just…really frustrated right now. When we were making breakfast – you saw! He got me all worked up and I thought if I took a bath that maybe I could take the edge off…"

"I take it you didn't get that chance." Her blush told him that she hadn't. "How is what you said not normal, Kagome? Weren't you the one to tell me that it was natural?" It wasn't like he could deny ever sneaking away to take care of himself after waking up from a dream with a hard-on.

Kagome's blush darkened considerably. "Yeah, well its not normal when you have fantasies about being shared between three men – even if they're the same."

He wasn't expecting _that_. "I…I don't…I don't…know what to…to say…" His thoughts had all begun to focus on that admission, and he shifted uncomfortably. _'Not the time!'_

"You don't have to say anything, Inuyasha. I know it's wrong. I shouldn't even consider it a fantasy, but I can't help it." She kept her gaze down at her hands as she spoke. "I don't even know when it started, it's just…been there. I guess when I thought you were going to follow Kikyo, this fantasy started as a way to keep you with me, so I wouldn't feel so alone when you were gone."

She was surprised to see Human Inuyasha appear in her line of sight. When had he kneeled down on the floor in front of her? He took her hands within is, catching her gaze. "You do know that I have no intentions of going to hell with Kikyo, right?" At her nod he continued, "You know that we love you, Kagome, all three sides of me. Believe me when I say that while the things you can say will catch us by surprise, don't think for a moment that you're wrong."

"If people had any idea, they'd call me a freak-"

"So fuck 'em," he scoffed. "It's not their business what happens in your bedroom anyway. You're talking to someone who is a half breed, Kagome. Freak is a subjective word. You've told me that you don't see me as one. Why would I think the same of you?"

Kagome smiled for the first time during the whole conversation. So what if her perverse fantasies weren't normal? Inuyasha wasn't judging her, at least his human side wasn't. She hadn't noticed when his hands left hers, but she did pick up on the featherlight touches on her inner things, just above her knees. "I-Inuyasha!"

"What?" How could he look up at her innocently while he was tracing circles with his fingertips on the bare skin of her legs?

"What are you doing?" She tried not to gasp as his fingers disappeared under the bathing yukata and moved a little further up. If the hanyou or youkai sides heard…

Human Inuyasha looked up and pouted. "Well if it's not obvious then I'm doing something wrong." The mock-pout fell into a grin at her little laugh. "I thought I'd help you relieve some of your…frustrations." One of his hands moved to push the folds of the yukata open, exposing a fair amount of her inner thigh. He bent to leave small kisses on the inside of her knee, slowly making his way upwards.

"O-oh-!" Kagome sighed, then gasped at the feel of his lips. "O-okay…" She found herself leaning back on her elbows the further upwards that he came, helping him untie the yukata with fumbling hands as he pushed it open.

Human Inuyasha's fingers continued to trail up and down the inside of her thighs, getting ever closer to her center, and he took a lot of delight in the way her body quivered underneath his touch. Oh, she was most certainly ready, but he wanted to draw it out. The youkai may have started this, but he had every intention of finishing it and making it worth the delay. He settled on the floor on his knees, bringing his hands underneath her legs to open her up more to him. The view of Kagome spread before him was glorious, and whether he was human, hanyou, or youkai, the sight would be one he'd never tire of.

Kagome could feel the warm breath tickle her skin, and she squirmed as he spread her legs. She knew he was teasing her. He knew she knew he was doing it. "Inuyasha…please…"

"Please what?"

She groaned. "You know what."

"Sorry, 'Gome. You've got to tell me. I can't read your mind."

A whimper escaped when he backed away from her. "Please…Inuyasha…just…touch me?"

He smirked. "Like this?" Leaning forward, he deftly licked the inside of her left thigh. It had the lovely effect of earning him a gasp and a moan from the woman underneath him.

"Fu…Further….up," she mumbled. He was going to make her ask for it. In her fantasies she had no problems telling Inuyasha what she wanted him to do to her, but this was real, and she could almost bet her whole body was blushing.

"Then…like this?" Grasping her legs, he settled them over each shoulder before grabbing her waist and pulling her towards him. With her bottom resting on the edge of the bed, he had better access as he ran the tip of his tongue further up, this time where her inner thigh met her center. He got a brief taste of her with that action and had to hold in his own groan of desire.

Kagome's hips bucked and there was no containing the moan that followed. "Yes," she let out in a hiss. "More…please…I need-"

But instead of feeling his tongue against her again, Kagome felt his fingertips brush against her folds. "You're so wet, Kagome," he purred, tracing her folds again. When his fingers brushed her nub, he had to use his free hand to hold her hips down. He hadn't expected that! "You're closer than I thought."

"That's….ugh….oh gods…that's what….i've been trying…to tell you!" she gasped.

Human Inuyasha looked up to see her now laying back, grasping the sheets with both hands. Her back was arched, and she was breathing heavy. He couldn't contain the swell of pride he felt at having been the one to make her react that way. "Then allow me to fix that," he told her, inserting a finger within her heat as he leaned down to taste her.

Kagome let out a loud noise immediately, and he was thankful that he didn't have hyper-sensitive hearing. Her legs quivered against his shoulders, and he could feel her small hands grasp his hair as she guided him closer. He'd change the motion of his finger as he teased her – curling it upwards had garnered an interesting sound. Then he'd switch and replace his fingers with his mouth. The sounds she was making were like music to his ears, but it also had the effect of turning him on, making his seated position more and more uncomfortable.

"Inu-Inuyash…ah!" Kagome let out a squeal when she felt Human Inuyasha tease her a little rougher than normal with his mouth. Not that she was complaining, but she had also felt a vibration when he had done it, almost like he had groaned against her. Whatever it was he did, she didn't care, she just hoped he did it again.

And he did it again, though not on purpose. Human Inuyasha was trying to ignore the growing strain in his sweatpants. He couldn't free a hand to adjust himself without risking Kagome levitating off the bed. So he increased his pace. As much as he wanted to draw it out, it was becoming apparent that he needed to back away, lest he try to explain a mess he didn't want to make.

His fingers returned to her entrance as his mouth switched to teasing that bundle of nerves that made her buck uncontrollably. He could tell she was close, but he didn't stop his ministrations until he heard Kagome's near scream of his name. Human Inuyasha tentatively cleaned her as her body recovered from its orgasm. He pressed a delicate kiss to the inside of her leg as he looked up at her. "Better?"

Kagome struggled to raise her top half up on her elbows. She felt like jelly after that, but the cheeky smile from the human still between her legs made her shiver all over again. "I am _wonderful_," she sighed at him. She was so relaxed right then, all she wanted to do was lay back and moan because she felt so good. She was too dazed to care that her bathing yukata was still open, baring her from the waist down.

Human Inuyasha laid his head against her leg as he watched her. He had to take deep breaths to try and calm his raging hard-on, but it wasn't working. _'Maybe the thought that the hanyou or the youkai overheard Kagome would stop this.' _He glanced down to see the prominent bulge. _'Guess not. Fuck!'_ He was screwed, and not in a good way. He couldn't stand up like this, what would Kagome think?

As her mind began to focus properly again, Kagome became aware of three things. One, she was near spread-eagle on her bed, naked. Two, she was starting to feel a draft. Three, why was Human Inuyasha still sitting on the floor? She pushed herself up into a sitting position, attempting to pull the yukata closed. '_Though what's the point?'_ Her naughty thoughts came crashing in. _'It's not like he hasn't seen you naked before!'_

Kagome ignored those thoughts. "How come you're still sitting on the floor, Inuyasha? Come sit up here with me-" She tugged on his arm and couldn't understand why he had begun to protest until he had stood up.

Human Inuyasha couldn't meet her eyes. He had seen her eyes widen and he looked away. She wasn't yelling at him to get out, so that was something. He was about to apologize when she surprised him with an apology of her own.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know-"

"You don't have to apologize, Kagome!" He looked away again, blushing. "This isn't the first time…" Although it was the first time he couldn't hide it; at least the day he got caught with her in his lap he hadn't been nearly as hard, and the jeans had limited how much she might have felt.

"Hey, you told me not to be embarrassed, remember?" Kagome dropped a hand on his leg, rubbing it to distract him. The naughty part of her mind was cheering her on as her hand crossed his lap, stopping to palm the tented fabric. If she kept having these kinds of thoughts, she was really going to have to give this side of her a nickname.

He nearly jumped out of his skin. Human Inuyasha looked at Kagome, who only smiled back as if she weren't currently rubbing a very private part of him. "If…if I… re-remem…ber…right… I s-said… I said…" When her hand started to slip beneath the waistband, he lost his train of thought.

'_Inuyasha didn't sleep in boxers,'_ rang out in her mind as her hand disappeared into his sweatpants. Kagome knew that Inuyasha was…well, above average seemed a good way to put it. She gathered that much from being startled when he had stormed into her room that time. He also hadn't been as hard as his sword's sheath. But right then, Kagome was trying not to talk herself out of what she intended to do.

Human Inuyasha groaned as Kagome's hand wrapped around his length and began to slowly stroke him. She had barely touched him, and he knew his own hand would never be able to compete again. She had already spoiled him.

Kagome watched his expression as she stroked him. He wasn't making a lot of noise, but she knew he was holding back. With his eyes tightly shut, he didn't see her slide off the bed and settle between his knees. Her other hand lowered the waistband of his sweatpants to have better access. She knew she didn't have much to compare him with, aside from some badly illustrated charts in textbooks, but now that she was seeing him closer, she knew he was impressive.

"Ugh…Ka-Kagome!" Human Inuyasha wasn't expecting to open his eyes to find her on her knees before him, though a part of him was thrilled at the sight. "What are you doing?"

She smiled up at him as she continued to stroke his length. "I thought that much was obvious," she teased, leaning forward to taste him. "You took care of me, now let me take care of you."

She hadn't given him a chance to argue against it before she took him in her mouth. As her tongue swirled around his head, he forgot that he was going to argue at all. "F-Fuck 'Gome!"

Kagome smiled inwardly as he became more vocal. _'Serves you right,'_ she thought, taking him as far as she could in her mouth. She continued to stroke him at his base as she sucked, laying her tongue flat against him and hummed.

"Oh…fuck! Yes!" Human Inuyasha's head was thrown back and his hands were gripping the covers for dear life. He didn't know where Kagome had learned to do this, but if there were a man involved he'd kill him. He'd be damned if anyone else got to experience the heaven of Kagome's lips around them.

Kagome used her other hand to massage him, resulting in a noise she had never heard come out of him before. She pulled back, teased him, and then took him as far as she could. When his hand came to rest on the back of her head, she wasn't worried that he'd forget himself and force her down farther. That hand was shaking too much to do anything.

Human Inuyasha groaned deeply as Kagome's tongue swirled around the tip of his length again. He was close. So _damn_ close. He had intended to warn her, to give her a chance to move away, but his hand on her head went unnoticed. He couldn't form a coherent sentence with the way her mouth caressed him.

"Mmm…'Gome…c-cant…ugh-!"

She knew. Kagome simply hummed again, getting him to make a strangled noise that time. She knew what was coming, and she intended to finish what she started.

"Fuck! K-Kagome-!" Human Inuyasha knew without a doubt that if the hanyou and youkai hadn't heard Kagome's shouting, they had just heard him. He tried to catch his breath and strained his hearing, bracing himself to make a run for it as soon as that door flew open. That was a feat in itself when all he could concentrate on was Kagome licking the remainder of his release up before readjusting his sweatpants and tucking his softening member from view. "Kagome," he tried to breathe, "You didn't have to-"

"I wanted to." Kagome rested her forearms against his knees as she watched him. "And before you ask, I would do that again, no matter what form you're in."

Human Inuyasha wanted to ask how she knew but thought better of it. Instead, he leaned forward, kissing her tenderly. "You're an amazing woman, Ka-go-me."

She smiled shyly. "Not bad for my first time, huh?" At his startled look, she explained. "You know those books you were looking at on that bookshelf?"

"Are- are you telling me-"

"Aren't books great?" she winked, resisting the urge to laugh at his expression.

* * *

Unknown to either human in the bedroom, they had been observed the entire time.

Inuyasha hadn't been able to contain his curiosity when he failed to hear any yelling or crashing sounds from upstairs. So, with the youkai in tow, they scaled the outside of the house and perched above Kagome's window. With it left open, they could sit on the roof out of sight and hear everything.

Inuyasha hadn't expected to hear _everything_.

When Kagome had revealed her fantasy, he nearly blew their cover. Youkai Inuyasha had clamped a hand over his mouth to prevent the sound from coming out. Inuyasha was still trying to accept that she _loved_ him; that she had fanaticized about being _shared_ among his different sides had his mind reeling.

Then she began to moan, and Inuyasha hung upside down to peek into the window. He saw his human side giving Kagome the kind of attention that made him jealous. It should've been him! Of course, it _was_ his neck that her legs were wrapped around, but still. Both his human and youkai sides have gotten more alone time with her, and it made him jealous.

'_Insanely jealous,'_ he decided as he heard her yell out his name in release.

Inuyasha peeked through the window again when he heard the human him make a startled sound, and his jaw dropped as he saw Kagome settle on the floor in front of him. He might have dropped off the roof entirely if it weren't for the youkai again, grabbing a fistful of his suikan as he muttered "lucky bastard" behind him. Inuyasha was too stunned to hear much else. He wasn't going to lie, the image before him had haunted his thoughts when he snuck away to take care of himself, and to see that Kagome was willingly doing it…yeah his human side was a lucky bastard.

But then he had heard her words, that she would do it again, and he nearly whined. The youkai pulled him back onto the roof, and they scrambled off before either human could hear them. "You want to let our mate catch us?" Youkai Inuyasha said as they landed in the front yard. "I can't imagine that ending well for either of us."

The hanyou rubbed his face, feeling heat in his cheeks. Was he blushing? Probably. It wouldn't surprise him anymore.

Youkai Inuyasha studied the hanyou. "Satisfied now?"

"No."

"What do you mean, no? Our mate has both said and proven that she could care less about what form you are. Fuck all, she even said she wanted the three of us! How can you not be pleased!?"

Inuyasha looked at the youkai. "Because it wasn't 'me'. Because the only time she's done anything has been with you or the human. Because when I kiss her, I want to throw caution to the wind and claim her right there. Take your pick, Youkai, cause I could come up with more."

"You were the one to tell Kagome to think about it." A new voice came from the front door, and both forms turned to see Human Inuyasha standing there with his arms crossed. "You can't get mad at us for that; that was on you."

"Just like Kagome was on you."

"Are you jealous?" The human asked, then froze. "Wait- how did you know-"

Youkai Inuyasha grinned widely. "We saw the whole thing." He looked the human up and down. "I'm impressed, Human. After what our mate did, I wasn't expecting to see you on your feet so soon."

"Shut up," Human Inuyasha blushed.

"Yes, shut up," Inuyasha agreed. "Where's Kagome now?"

"She mentioned that some laundry needed to be done. Why?"

"Good." The hanyou grabbed the wrists of the youkai and the human and pulled them towards the well house. "We need to talk."

When Inuyasha reached the well house, he threw open the door and pushed the other two inside, ignoring their protests at being shoved around. "I need you two to make yourself scarce. I need to talk to Kagome, and I can't do that with you two around."

"But we're you-"

He cut the human off. "And you're also a distraction. Both of you. If you don't believe me, think back on how much of Kagome's time you've taken." Inuyasha crossed his arms and sighed through his nose. "The truth is, I don't feel like I can compete with you two around right now. I want to find out Kagome's answer, and I feel like if you two are nearby, I won't know if her answer is what it would be if we weren't split."

"And you think that with us out of the house, you'll get the answer you want." Youkai Inuyasha smirked. "Or is it rather that you will get her?"

Inuyasha pointed at his human self. "I'm pretty sure after what she did to him that I know the answer."

"I take it you are jealous."

"Fucking yes I'm jealous you bastard! I'd ask if you knew how many times I've dreamed of Kagome doing that, but I know you do!"

Human Inuyasha had the decency to look guilty. He hadn't asked Kagome to do that; hell, he wasn't even sure if he could have brought himself to _ask_. "Fine," he said. "How long do you want us to stay away?"

"Wait-"

"Tomorrow morning," Inuyasha said.

"How come I-"

"Consider it done," Human Inuyasha replied.

"Now wait a minute-"

Both human and hanyou looked at the youkai.

Youkai Inuyasha's displeasure showed across his face as he spoke. "How is this fair?" he mumbled. A shout of indignation from the hanyou had him leaping out of the way of his fist before it connected to his head. "Okay, I get it! Damn! We're going already!"

Human Inuyasha followed the youkai as he leapt into the well. "We'll see you two in the morning then," he grinned, pushing off the edge. "Have fun!"

Inuyasha stared at the well for some time after the light had faded from within. Whether he was red from fury at his youkai side's whining embarrassment from his human side's encouragement, he couldn't be sure. He did know that he had to get control over himself before he went inside the house.


	12. Chapter 12

Suffice to say, when the youkai and human sides of Inuyasha appeared in the doorway of Kaede's hut, everyone was surprised.

"Not that it is a bad omen to see the two of you," Kaede reached for two additional bowls, "but what brings the pair of you here this evening?" She served each one a bowl of soup.

"The hanyou-" Youkai Inuyasha started to tell the truth but decided against the _whole_ truth. "-he wished to speak with Kagome, explain everything to her."

"It would be easier if they could be left alone, so we came back here." Human Inuyasha appreciated that the youkai hadn't been blunt for once. No one had to know that her family wasn't home.

Sango sipped her tea, sending the old miko across the fire a knowing look. She had her suspicions that they were told only a half-truth, but she wasn't about to call them out. If this "talk" meant what she thought it did, then she could only hope that they were on the way to solving Inuyasha's problem.

* * *

Kagome didn't laugh until she made it to the laundry room.

She couldn't help it. Human Inuyasha had stood up far too quickly from the bed, not realizing how weak his legs still were. She'd stood up at the same time and managed to help steady him, but at the expense of her yukata coming open again. His expression then rivaled the time he had rescued her in the cellar on the night of the new moon. Once she was sure he was okay on his own, she folded the yukata closed, grabbing the clean panties she'd dropped on the bed and went to her closet. Human Inuyasha had mumbled something about his other sides and stumbled out of the room to let her get dressed.

That had been hours ago. Had it _been_ hours? Kagome wasn't sure anymore. It was hard to keep track of time when all one could focus on was where a particular tongue was and what it was doing.

She fought to suppress the shiver that came over her as she recalled earlier. After she had gotten dressed, she collected all the dirty clothes and put together a load of laundry. Kagome – albeit briefly – heard the three talking outside, but she wasn't sure where they went. _'Probably stopped in the feudal era to check in,'_ she had thought. For once she wasn't bothered by not knowing where he had gone.

Hell, she was so relaxed that Inuyasha could've gone to meet Kikyo and it wouldn't have upset her.

'_And I know that he loves me, that he chose me.'_

Kagome looked at the clock. It was getting close to dinnertime, and she hadn't seen any sign of Inuyasha. She had hoped to tell Inuyasha of her decision, but now she wondered if something had come up. If there was trouble, then surely he would have told her. Maybe he just stopped to eat first.

She grunted as she stirred the food. "I know my cooking isn't as good as Mama's, but he could at least humor me-"

"I never said your cooking was bad, Kagome."

Spinning around, Kagome found the hanyou in the doorway. "Inuyasha.."

"I hope you don't mind if it's just me and you tonight. I asked my human and youkai sides if they could stay with the others."

Kagome turned back to the stove, dividing up their dinner. _'Looks like we'll have extra.' _She brought it to the table and asked, "There's nothing wrong, is there?"

"No, I just wanted to talk without…um…"

"Distractions?"

"Yeah." Inuyasha kept his eyes focused on his plate. Did it make him a bad person, telling his two sides to shove off so he could spend some time with his mate?

"I don't mind, but I guess they _have_ been crowding you lately, huh? Come to think of it, I don't think we've been alone like this in a long time."

"Not since we first started looking for the jewel," Inuyasha stated. "That feels like a long time ago."

Kagome hummed in agreement. "A lot can happen in three years."

"Hey Kagome," Inuyasha set down his chopsticks and looked at her. "When…when did you first realize…uh…"

From his blushing, Kagome was able to figure out what he wanted to know. "That I fell in love with you?" She set down her chopsticks and thought about it. "The first time I realized that I was in love…do you remember when we talked at the well? How I said that Kikyo and I were alike in our desire to be with you? That was the day that I knew without a doubt. But… I think I had a crush on you for far longer."

"How much longer?" Now he was curious.

Kagome shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe that first new moon?"

Inuyasha appeared to wilt before her. "So when I was human."

How could he still be insecure? "No, when you told me that you liked my scent."

In nearly three years, it was the first time either could recall bringing that confession up. Since then, Kagome had made it a point to be mindful of what soaps and shampoos she used. Any perfumes she had in her room were hardly touched, unless Inuyasha had made a comment about them. If he thought it smelled good, then she'd occasionally spritz some on her neck before going down the well. He never said anything, but she heard the appreciative sniffs when he thought he was being sneaky.

"Y-you remember that, huh?" He was blushing again.

Kagome smiled, reaching out and taking his hand. "How could I forget? A girl always likes to hear that she smells nice."

"Then I ought to tell you everyday that you smell fantastic," he grinned, making her laugh.

The remainder of dinner was eaten in peaceful silence, neither feeling the need to fill the empty space with talk. Kagome loved it. It was one of those things they had between them from the beginning. After dinner, Inuyasha washed the dishes as Kagome put the leftovers in containers for the next day. All the while, they shared smiles as they worked in silence.

In fact, it wasn't until they had nothing to do that the silence became awkward. Kagome attempted to break the silence, only –

"How do I mark you?"

-The question nearly made Inuyasha fall out there on the kitchen floor. Once he quit sputtering from shock, her question sunk in. "Kagome… are you saying what I think you're saying?"

When it dawned on her that she said 'do' instead of 'would', her face turned red. "Well that wasn't how I wanted to tell you, but…yeah." Kagome straightened up and said, "I want to be your mate, Inuyasha, in every sense of the word."

The next thing she knew, she had been scooped up in Inuyasha's arms and spun around. He was ecstatic to hear Kagome say those words. "Are you sure?" He had to ask. "I won't be upset if you'd rather wait and think more on this."

"I'm very sure. I wouldn't change my mind about this for anything." She raised up on her toes to peck his lips. "I also don't want to wait any longer."

At the words, "I don't want to wait", Inuyasha had lifted Kagome up in his arms and ran to her room. Her laughter echoed in the empty house as she was set back on her feet.

"What would you have done if I wasn't ready?"

"Understood."

"Inuyasha…"

"Okay!" He blushed darkly. "Probably disappeared for a bit, but I would've understood!" He didn't have to elaborate on why he'd have disappeared. Every day he had been more keyed up and it was getting harder to hide it.

Kagome hooked her fingers around the beads and coaxed him forward. "Glad I'm ready," she whispered just before he bent to kiss her. She sunk into the kiss as his arms pulled her close.

Inuyasha's hand slid up and down her back, finally settling at her hips. He couldn't suppress the groan as the kiss deepened, tasting her like he had wanted to the day before. Had it only been yesterday? It felt like so much longer.

He never imagined that he'd get to hold her like this, to be able to touch her and hear sighs and moans and know they were because of him. Her words repeated in his mind as he dared to slide his hands down her hips and underneath the hem of her sundress. She told him she was ready, that she didn't want to wait anymore. As Kagome moaned into the kiss, Inuyasha couldn't agree more.

Kagome couldn't hold in the shiver as she felt Inuyasha's claws skim the edge of her panties. She had let go of the beads and had begun to untie his suikan. Or rather, she attempted to. Inuyasha had her pulled against him tighter now, making it hard to move her arms. His tongue dancing against hers was making her forget everything else. She pushed lightly against his chest, breaking the kiss.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha was afraid that he had done something wrong, until he felt her hands grasp the folds of his suikan, mumbling about too many clothes. He bit back a laugh as he released one bare hip to seek out the zipper of her dress. He had gotten the dress halfway open when she had tugged both the suikan and kosode out of his hakama. "Impatient, are we?" Inuyasha did chuckle when Kagome began to push the two layers off his shoulders.

"You have no idea."

He had been about to disagree, but as soon as his robes hit the floor, she was leaving a trail of kisses down his chest. "N-now who's…over..dressed," he mumbled, trying to tug the zipper down again. When her tongue darted out across his nipple, Inuyasha nearly tore the sundress in his haste to get it off. "Evil wench."

Kagome stepped back to let the dress pool on the floor around her feet. Inuyasha forgot to breathe as he took in the sight before him. Yes, he had seen her naked before – multiple times and all accidental – but nothing compared to being _allowed_ to look. She had chosen a matching lace set that he'd never seen before. Not that he deliberately looked for her underthings; he had only come across them in her backpack when he was looking for snacks. He itched to touch her then, but worried that his claws would snag the lace. He really didn't want to get sat.

Kagome saw his uncertainty when he looked down at his hands. "You won't hurt me," she assured him, reaching behind her to undo the clasp of her bra.

Slowly, Inuyasha reached out and tugged the straps down, baring her chest to his view. He decided right then that this was better than any accidental peepshow. The bra fell to the floor as she reached out to untie his hakama. As the ties began to come loose, Inuyasha was hit with the reality of what would happen, and it was overwhelming. He grabbed her hands before the ties were completely undone.

"Inuyasha?"

"I need to know," he swallowed, "that this is what you really want, Kagome. I don't trust myself to stop if you've changed your mind."

"Are you nervous?" That had to be the reason why he kept asking if she was sure. "It's okay," she told him, stepping closer to lightly kiss him. "I'm nervous too, but it's a good thing. I can't see me giving myself to anyone else. You're it, and I mean it. All of you."

Inuyasha pulled her in for another kiss as her hands returned to his hakama, pushing the material off his hips. He could feel her fingers tracing the edge of his fundoshi and groaned against her lips. He pushed her back long enough to kick the hakama all the way off before reaching for her hips. Carefully, he hooked his thumbs in the lace and started tugging. The scent of her arousal was already intoxicating, but when kneeling to remove the panties, her scent hit Inuyasha's nose so fast it was all he could do not to whine. "You. Bed. Now," he said, trying to contain the need in his voice.

Kagome sat down on the bed after stepping out of her panties, reaching for Inuyasha's fundoshi again. He groaned as she brushed against the straining fabric. "You never said how I was supposed to be on the bed." Her hand squeezed and he let out a choked sound.

Any other time Inuyasha would've had a comeback, but as she literally held him in the palm of her hand, he could only think of one thing. _'Don't stop!'_

The truth was, Kagome was buying time. She wanted to finish undressing Inuyasha, but she couldn't find where to begin unwrapping his fundoshi. Would it be a mood killer if she asked? She glanced at the prominent bulge and blushed, recalling the last time she had seen him this aroused. It may have been his human side, but it had been just as impressive. Deciding then that she could always ask later, Kagome began tugging the fundoshi down his hips.

Inuyasha didn't think much about _how_ Kagome chose to undress him, but it was _what_ she did as the strip of cloth joined their clothes that got his attention. Soft lips placed a kiss on the tip of his length, and a second later he had Kagome hauled up onto the bed and underneath him. "I won't last if you do that," he told her, bending to kiss her neck. "Fuck, I'm so close right now it ain't funny." This wasn't going how he had dreamed at all. He had wanted to take his time, bring her to release before him, draw the moment out for as long as possible.

"Who said this would be it?" She reached up to rub an ear affectionately as his hands settled on her breasts.

"I wanted-" Inuyasha flushed, unable to finish his thought. He dipped his head down to leave a trail of kisses across her chest instead.

Kagome moaned at the new sensation, letting her hand fall back to the bed. She could guess what he intended to say. "Inuyasha…I need you."

"Kagome, I…"

She shifted underneath him, brushing her leg up against his length. "We have the house to ourselves for the next week. We'll have plenty of time to take it slow-" here he groaned, "-so let's focus on marking each other for now."

Inuyasha groaned again. He nearly forgot! "You'll…have to take a bit of my blood for the mark to take. I don't know if your reiki alone would work." He was slightly worried that she would object, but she nodded silently.

As Inuyasha raised his right wrist to his mouth, biting down to draw blood, Kagome wanted to comment about how vampire-like the gesture was, but knew he'd miss the reference. She pressed her mouth to the punctured wrist he offered her, sucking lightly until the wound closed. She wasn't a fan of the taste, but that became irrelevant as she felt it pulse against her reiki.

"Are you alright?" He wasn't sure if it would work or not, and the thought of hurting her with his youkai blood scared him more than it not taking at all.

Kagome couldn't hide the shiver that passed through her body. Her reiki had sensed the strange power and it had welcomed it, like it knew of the significance. "I feel…good?" She wasn't sure how to respond. She wasn't in pain, but it was a different feeling.

Inuyasha tried not to let the surprise show on his face, but she had asked what was wrong. "You shouldn't have a problem leaving your mark now," he told her, referring to the two pointed canines in her mouth. They weren't as long as his, and likely wouldn't last for long. His body reminded him that he was on borrowed time as well. "I need you, 'Gome."

"You have me," she replied, pulling him in for a kiss. Kagome felt the tip of his member line up with her entrance, as well as Inuyasha's hesitation. "You won't hurt me."

Inuyasha knew better, even as he felt himself sink into her. He knew she'd be uncomfortable until she was used to his size, but fuck if it didn't feel like heaven! He tried to distract the both of them by trailing kisses along her neck. Anything to take her mind off the pain and keep him from slamming the rest of the way into her.

She had heard it would be painful, but then again the ones who told her these kinds of things liked to be dramatic. It was more…uncomfortable at first, feeling her body stretch to accommodate his girth. Kagome knew he was holding back. He had gone so still when he had settled inside of her, like he was afraid she'd break if he moved. When she felt confident enough, Kagome shifted her hips, taking him a little deeper. "Oh-!"

"Oh fuck, Kagome!" Inuyasha closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing. He hadn't been expecting her to do that.

"You can move now," she finally got out. Any uncomfortable feeling was gone and in its place was something wonderful.

Inuyasha hadn't needed to be told twice, slowly pulling out before moving back. He kept his eyes on Kagome's face for any sign of discomfort, but when her hands grasped his hips and pulled, he had been startled, thrusting into her quicker than he intended.

Kagome's head fell back onto the pillows with a moan of pleasure. "That. Do that again."

He did, albeit reluctantly at first, still worried she was sore. The sounds he drew out of Kagome soon began to give him confidence, and Inuyasha dared to let himself enjoy this pleasure as well. _'So…hot…so wet…so mine…. My Kagome.'_

She could tell when Inuyasha had relaxed. His thrusts increased, changing angles slightly to see what she liked more. She wasn't sure what he did with the way he rolled his hips, but it stroked a part of her she wasn't aware of. Her eyes rolled back, and she couldn't contain the noises that came out. "Right- _oh! There!_"

Inuyasha rolled his hips again, not able to hide his grin as his mate moaned his name. he wanted so badly to draw this out, but he was treading on a thin line of restraint. "Kagome…" he stilled, feeling her walls tighten around his member. "I can't… I'm sorry…"

"It's alright," she told him, slipping her legs up around his hips. "I'm nearly there too."

Inuyasha shifted suddenly. Arms around her waist, he brought Kagome up with him as he sat back on his heels. He felt her take more of him in as they changed positions, and he swore. "Tell me when," he said, pulling one hand from her waist to dip between them.

Kagome gasped as she felt the pad of his thumb circle her nub, and her hold on him tightened in every possible way. He had started to move again, but much slower this time. She almost lost herself in the pleasure, until she bit down on her lip and drew blood. That was the reminder she needed. "I'm…Inuyasha…" She was struggling to form words as she approached the edge. "I'm right…there-"

"Good…can't…" Inuyasha shifted so that he could mark Kagome. He felt her lips settle over the curve of his neck and shoulder. "Bite me as hard as you can," he told her. "You won't hurt me." Inuyasha could feel her tighten around him even more, and he began to thrust up into her faster. He briefly heard her gasp as she came before he felt her teeth sink into his skin.

Kagome felt like she had crashed into a wall. Her body tensed, and not because of Inuyasha's fangs marking her. It was the rush of youkai blood that she took in, mixing with her reiki. There were no doubts, he was accepting her mark, just as she was his. The intensity of the exchange had her let out a muffled noise against his neck. Or maybe that was him?

Inuyasha was the first to let go, and he noticed that the small holes were slowly healing. "Are you alright?" he asked hoarsely. This was beginning to be a pattern tonight.

Kagome shifted so she could see his face as she spoke. "I am wonderful," she smiled, laughing at his goofy grin. She leaned forward to kiss him, only to remember that he was still very much buried inside her. His grin was wiped away as she rocked against his hips. "You naughty puppy," she teased. And he had been worried about lasting?

His hands gripped her hips to guide her. "What are you planning to do about it?" Inuyasha led her back onto the mattress, never leaving the warmth of her body. He kissed the opposite side of her neck, delighting in the sounds she made. Their first time may have been faster than what either had wanted, but now he was planning to take his time.

* * *

In the little hut on the other side of the well five centuries into the past, only two occupants were awake. It was early morning; the sun had barely cut across the horizon.

The youkai was occupied cleaning the morning's kill, not that they had any intentions of staying and eating it. It gave him something to do until they went back through the well. Human Inuyasha sat across from the youkai, digging around in the bag of snacks that Kagome had left. He pulled out a box of cookies he'd never tried before, but Shippo seemed to like the flavor – chocolate.

Youkai Inuyasha tossed the cut meat into the cooking pot next to him. "Lucky bastard," he mumbled.

"I'm sorry?"

"You have a lot of nerve, Human."

"What?" Human Inuyasha looked down at the box, then held it out to the youkai. "I didn't know if you could eat these, or I'd have offered sooner! Damn!"

Youkai Inuyasha stared at the box before his hand reached in and snagged a few cookies. "I was talking about our mate," he said, sniffing the cookies before biting into one. A second later the other half was scarfed down.

"What about her?"

"Yesterday." The youkai ate the second cookie whole. "What was it like?"

Human Inuyasha got another cookie from the box. He didn't know what the youkai was talking about. "I don't…wait." He suddenly _did_ remember what he was referring to, and he couldn't stop the blush that covered his face and neck. How he could have forgotten the feeling of Kagome's lips wrapped around him was beyond him. Must have been half-asleep still. "It was amazing," he finally admitted.

"Feh. Lucky bastard."

"You know she said she'd do that with any of us, right? If you – ow. The fuck?" The human clapped a hand over his neck. He felt like he had been…bitten? "Check," he told the youkai. "Do you see anything?"

Youkai Inuyasha glanced at the human's neck and grunted an affirmative. "You have some kind of mark. It's purple." He pulled back the collar of his shirt. "You see anything?"

"A purple mark. You think-"

"That they finally fucked? I'm sure of it now." The youkai grinned widely.

* * *

Human Inuyasha had insisted that they wait until the others had woken up before they left. Youkai Inuyasha took that to mean yelling "Get up fuckers" at the top of his lungs. Needless to say the rest of their group was all too glad to hear they were leaving for Kagome's time, even if he had procured and cleaned meat for breakfast.

When they had reached the edge of the village, the youkai hefted the startled human on his back before breaking into a run for the well. He had no intention of waiting and knew that the human wouldn't tell a soul of his "generosity". Nobody would believe it anyway.

Although he did get delight in hearing the human on his back shriek when he didn't slow down before jumping into the time stream.

"Asshole! Fucking asshole!" Human Inuyasha punched the youkai in the shoulder after he had cleared the well in Kagome's time. He tried to calm his heartrate as he followed, silently thinking that that may have been payback for something he'd had no control over.

"But did you die?" The youkai grinned and threw open the doors to the well house. Youkai Inuyasha was too focused on finding the hanyou and their mate. He had to know. As they crossed the yard and reached the house, he grabbed his human counterpart and hauled him up the side of the house. Going through the house would take too much time in his opinion.

The window had been left open, and the youkai could detect the new scent that lingered in the room, a mix of Kagome and the hanyou. That would have been enough evidence to suggest the binding had been a success. The combined moans they heard further got the point across.

"_Oh! Inu…yasha!"_

Both propped their elbows up on the windowsill and could see the couple in bed, writhing and moaning each other's name. From the sounds of things, they had come to the window right at the end. Neither one tried to hide that they had been spying. They certainly hadn't ducked out of sight when Inuyasha caught them.

"Oi! What the fuck!"


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: A heads up, y'all. I've said it before, but this is one of the chapters that I've had to tweak, so if you want to read the original version, check it out on AO3.  
**

* * *

If Inuyasha hadn't been so spent from their morning activities, he'd have been pretty pissed to find his human and youkai sides watching from the window. Underneath him, he felt Kagome twist around to follow his gaze and the muttered "Oh my gods" as she covered her face. "What the hell are you two doing here?!"

"You told us to come back in the morning," Youkai Inuyasha pointed out.

"You couldn't go through the front door?!"

"Why, when we got a show right here?" The youkai and human climbed into the room as if there weren't two naked people in the bed. Youkai Inuyasha crossed his arms as he looked at the occupants in the bed. "Though it isn't much of a show, is it?" He nodded to the human. "I would have pegged you for being the prude of the three of us-"

"It didn't start out under the covers."

Inuyasha groaned. "Why, Kagome?" Was she seriously encouraging this? He glanced down to see her cheeky grin. She was, the wench.

"Why can't they know, Inuyasha? They _are_ you after all." She nudged him to move over so she could sit up and pulled the sheet upwards. It was more of a reflex at this point than modesty, given how many times Inuyasha had seen her naked – and that was before last night. "There's some leftovers from last night in the fridge," she added.

"Great, come on Youkai." Human Inuyasha clapped him on the shoulder. He headed for the door and knew the youkai would follow at the prospect of food.

Inuyasha sat back on his heels as his counterparts left. "I'm sorry about that, Kagome."

"Why?"

"They're supposed to know better. I thought that-"

Kagome leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Inuyasha. That means every side of you. To be honest…once you go back to being yourself again, I'm gonna miss this."

"I love you too, but are you insane? Where have you been these last weeks?"

"Oh come on, it hasn't been _that_ bad-" At his look she conceded. "Okay, so shard hunting didn't go so well…but getting to spend this time with you is what I meant."

"Yeah." Inuyasha started to kiss the column of her neck, making her shiver. "And think, we'll get to do this spending time together thing more often. My mate," he added, with a slight nip on her skin.

Kagome sighed contentedly. _'Inuyasha's mate…I could get used to that…'_ She had to push him back softly before she fell back against the pillows. "We need to get up-"

"I'm halfway there," he murmured huskily.

"-and get downstairs before either your human or youkai sides burn the kitchen down." Kagome laughed at the groan of disappointment as she scooted off the bed and moved to her closet. She turned briefly to see Inuyasha pull on a pair of jeans before leaving the room, mumbling about his counterparts. He hadn't bothered to hide himself, so she got a full view that left her blushing. _'After last night I shouldn't still be able to blush_'

* * *

It had taken a few tries with the microwave, but Human Inuyasha was able to reheat the leftovers Kagome had saved. He set the plate down in front of the youkai and sat down at the table with his own. He felt bad that she had gone to the trouble and made so much, but he was grateful that she saved the rest. There was no way he would have been able to make something from scratch.

Inuyasha entered the kitchen, surprised to see it intact, and his counterparts eating civilly. It was kind of terrifying.

Youkai Inuyasha looked the hanyou up and down, grinning widely. "Hello slut."

"The hell?"

"He heard it on that picture box." Human Inuyasha replied, turning in his seat. "Though now that I see you, I understand why he said it."

Inuyasha looked down at himself and blushed. Kagome had left hickeys across his skin from neck to waist (that could be seen), but whether they were from that morning or the night before, he wasn't sure. He just thanked the heavens that Miroku wasn't present. "Yeah well…that ain't all she did!" he blurted out, going to the fridge. He hadn't meant to say that!

"Oh, now we _need_ the details, Hanyou!"

"The hell you do!"

"Listen to the slut, Youkai." Human Inuyasha bit his cheek so he wouldn't laugh. "We'll find out soon enough when we're all one person again."

"That's disappointing."

"Why do you say that?"

"Both of you have gotten Kagome to yourselves," Youkai Inuyasha was practically sulking as he talked. "I want to get time alone with our mate."

Inuyasha whirled around and glared at the youkai. "Kagome is not going to be passed around like a piece of meat!" What he was suggesting made his mate sound like something one might encounter at a brothel!

"Actually," It was amazing that Human Inuyasha didn't flinch as the glare shifted to him. "You do remember what she told me yesterday, right? Kagome outright said that it was a fantasy of hers to be shared between us."

"Of course I remember, I can't forget." He turned back to the fridge, pulling out ingredients. Better to distract himself with making Kagome breakfast than to linger on that line of thinking. "Anyway…it doesn't matter what we might want. If Kagome doesn't want to do something, we're not going to push her."

* * *

Kagome felt like she had spent an unholy amount of time choosing something to wear when she ended up with an old cotton tank top and coordinating shorts. _'It's not like Inuyasha expects me to impress him,'_ she thought. Come to think of it, the only time he'd ever raised a fit about her clothes was the first time she'd worn the miko robes Kaede had loaned her. _'And that had more to do with Kikyo…'_

She felt her mood dampen a bit. _'Why do I feel guilty? Inuyasha said the youkai instinct told him I was his mate, not her. She wouldn't have agreed to be marked if it had been her. Maybe…maybe I feel guilty because she missed out on this kind of happiness?'_ Kagome adjusted the hem of her shirt. She wanted to give Kikyo a peaceful rest if nothing else. It's not as if she intended to go rub their new bond in her face when she saw her again.

She paused, noticing her reflection in the mirror. When Inuyasha had told her about marking her, she had assumed it would be like a bite – again the image of a vampire bite crossed her mind. Kagome leaned closer to her reflection, angling her shoulder and neck so she could better study it.

It wasn't a bite mark at all. This was more like a…tattoo?

Kagome could still see the faint pink dots from where Inuyasha's fangs had bitten down, but in between them sat her mate mark. It was purple, not unlike the color of the jagged marks on Youkai Inuyasha's cheeks. There was a thin crescent moon that curved around some kind of flower. Small dots followed the outside of the moon.

She poked at the skin where the mark lay, trying to determine what the flower was. Since it was a silhouette, it was hard to say. To her, it could have been a hawthorn or cherry blossom by the shape, or maybe a dogwood. _'No wait, dogwoods only have four petals.'_ She continued to poke and rub at the mark. Whatever it was, it was pretty.

* * *

Downstairs in the kitchen, all three forms were shifting uncomfortably.

Inuyasha had no idea what was going on. All he knew was that he had been making breakfast for Kagome when he felt tremors of pleasure come over him. He had thought _that_ hunger had been sated for now, but he had been very, very wrong. He gripped the counter tightly and bit back a whine as another wave washed over him. "What the hell is going on?!"

Youkai Inuyasha moaned appreciatively as he said, "I believe our mate has discovered her mark."

"What?"

"I expected this ignorance from the human, but it's surprising coming from you." The youkai frowned; this knowledge should have been a given, even to a hanyou. "That mark you left on Kagome is a link to you, not simply a decoration showing who she goes to bed with each night. Your blood is mixed with hers, just like your souls. That mark means that you will be in tune with Kagome's emotions, wellbeing, and desires."

"So why am I sporting a hard on if the mark is meant for Kagome?!"

Human Inuyasha shifted in his seat. "Y-yeah, that would be good to know." He felt a little better not knowing anything, but not much.

Youkai Inuyasha grinned. "She's touching the mark. Since you put it there, if our mate touches it-" He moaned as another wave came over him, "- it affects you. But if you touch it, it would affect her."

Inuyasha stared at the youkai, gritting his teeth again. _'She needs to stop. She needs to stop. She-'_ He froze as the words the youkai said came back to him. _'If she touches the mark and I feel it, then maybe…'_ Tentatively, he reached up to brush his fingertips across his mark and waited.

If there had been any other noise in the house, he might not have heard the faint moan upstairs.

"What are you-?"

Inuyasha held his hand up to silence his human side. The other hand continued to rub circles around the mark, gently at first, then slowly increasing the pressure. The moans became louder, and by the time he was bearing down on the mark, Kagome was coming down the stairs.

And from the sounds of it, in more ways than one.

Kagome stumbled into the kitchen, trying to catch her breath. "I don't know what just happened… but a little warning would be nice."

"Keh! We could say the same thing." _'Call it payback, wench.'_

Human Inuyasha pulled out the chair next to him as Kagome reached the table. She dropped down, looking flushed. A plate of food was set in front of her, and she looked up to see Inuyasha sit down across from her. "Eat, Kagome."

"She's exhausted, Hanyou." Youkai Inuyasha reached for her plate, picking up a piece of fruit. "After what you did, you can't expect her to eat. She barely made it to the table!"

The piece of fruit appeared in front of her nose, and Youkai Inuyasha was watching her expectantly. "Really Inuyasha, I can feed myself-"

"Let me," he pressed, waving the fruit.

'_He's not going to let up if I don't.'_ Her arms were fine; it was her legs that felt like jelly. Kagome opened her mouth, and felt the youkai place the fruit on her tongue. She chewed and swallowed it with a smile, which seemed to please him.

Then he presented her with another piece.

Inuyasha wasn't sure which annoyed him more in that moment, how his youkai side seemed hell bent on hand-feeding Kagome, or the hard on he was still sporting. He was beginning to regret grabbing the jeans. Trying to shift to be more comfortable only seemed to make it worse.

"Feeling frustrated?" Human Inuyasha asked him, raising his cup to his lips to hide his grin.

"And you aren't?" The hanyou shot back.

"I'm not the one whose leg is bouncing so hard the table's shaking."

Kagome dodged another piece of fruit to look under the table. Sure enough, Inuyasha's left leg was bouncing. She was about to ask him what was bothering him but sighed instead as Youkai Inuyasha presented her with food again. She hadn't expected him to be so persistent in wanting to feed her.

* * *

Inuyasha tried to block out the noises coming from Kagome's room. It was one thing for her to tell him that she loved each side of him. To hear her with his youkai side – even if it was his name she was yelling out – somehow felt like it was someone else.

Fuck, he really was jealous of himself.

He wanted to throat punch the youkai, but it had been Kagome that led him upstairs. She had been the one to make the choice, so he couldn't do anything. The youkai had been just as surprised at her bold gesture, even if she still blushed.

Suddenly, the thought that she would want to be shared between the three of them wasn't as farfetched as it seemed. Inuyasha's ears picked up the shouting as she came. _'It needs to be her choice. I won't lead her into anything she might regret later.'_ The silence that fell over the house for once was a relief.

Snoring from the living room killed that quick. The human must not have slept much, for he had crashed on the couch. _'Then again,' _Inuyasha blushed, _'it might have more to do with Kagome wearing him out.'_

Myoga had saw fit to inform him about the effects of a mate mark back before they had attempted to search for the jewel shards. The flea was only able to relay the information based on two youkai sharing a bond, but he assured his charge that it was better than flying blind, even if at the time he didn't want to think about it. One aspect he mentioned was stamina. Usually after binding oneself to another, there would be a temporary surge of energy-

"I'm going to run down to the store, Inuyasha. I'll be back real soon!"

Inuyasha turned just in time to see Kagome fly past, dressed and as alert as if she hadn't been doing what she had been with the youkai. _'He had one thing right,' _he thought, glancing at the staircase. He went upstairs and didn't bother to knock as he threw the door open. Youkai Inuyasha was still laying in the bed. Inuyasha crossed his arms and asked dryly, "Are you happy now?"

Youkai Inuyasha chuckled. "Fucking fantastic, Hanyou. Where is Kagome?"

"She went to the store, while you're still laying in bed like a lump."

"What can I say? Our mate has a voracious appetite."

"If you were asleep you'd be snoring like the human on the couch."

The youkai sat up, searching for his pants. No way was he about to be compared to that human! "Did she say why she left?"

"Hell, she was a damn blur! How should I know?"

Youkai Inuyasha grunted and pushed past Inuyasha into the hall. "Has she spoken to you about her desires?"

"Given that she's been a little occupied, I can't say she has." Not that he'd admit to not knowing exactly what the youkai was referring to. Each time things between them had heated up, conversation wasn't the priority and all of the blood in his body wasn't reaching his brain. He followed Youkai Inuyasha in silence downstairs and into the living room.

Before he could be stopped, Youkai Inuyasha began poking Human Inuyasha in the stomach with his foot. "Wakey wakey, Human."

"Fuck off," came the grumbled reply.

"Already did. Would highly recommend." He started poking harder. "Wake the hell up. We need to talk."

"I'm not going back through that well-"

"Who said anything about-"

"Will you two shut it!" The youkai growled. "Did both of you forget what tonight is?"

Inuyasha frowned, looking at his counterparts. "Shit! Tonight's the new moon!"

Human Inuyasha swallowed. "So…is this it?" For weeks they had been wishing for things to return to normal. And with Inuyasha and Kagome now bound to each other, there shouldn't be any reason for them to remain separated.

"Look, it's not like we can stay like this forever. There's still the jewel shards and Naraku to deal with."

"The hanyou's right," Youkai Inuyasha agreed. "We're not at our best in a fight like this. We need to protect our mate and our pack."

"Kagome may be the one to miss this time the most," Human Inuyasha noted.

Inuyasha knew he was referring to the exclusive time she got alone with him these past weeks, but it was rare to get so much time with his human side, and even rarer for the youkai. "Well, if this is our final night that we're split, we should make the most of it for Kagome. Whatever she wants to do."

* * *

"I'm back!" Kagome was surprised to enter the house and not be bombarded by some form of Inuyasha. Hell, she half-expected to see him at the door, ready to chew her ear off for bolting like she did.

She wasn't sure what had gotten into her – okay she knew _what_ – but she shouldn't have been walking, much less running to the store! The miko set the plastic bag down on the table as she looked around. Still no sign of Inuyasha.

"Bout time you got back. What was the big hurry?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome spun around, nearly colliding into his chest. His clawed hands fell to her waist to catch her. He didn't look upset, she noticed, just curious. "Sorry about that," she blushed. "I only went down to the corner store to pick up a few things. Where have you been? It was so quiet when I came home I almost thought you went back through the well."

"And leave my mate all alone? Why would I do that?" Inuyasha pulled Kagome closer by her hips and gave her a quick kiss. "Actually, I – we – there's a surprise for you." He led her upstairs as he continued. "Me, the human, and the youkai were talking-"

"A civil conversation? I'm sorry I missed that!" she teased.

"Hey! It happens! Anyway, with tonight being the new moon-"

"The new moon? Has it really been a month?"

"Yes, wench!" Inuyasha stopped at her bedroom door. "We think…since things have changed…that I should return to normal tomorrow morning."

Kagome tried not to let the disappointment show on her face. She couldn't be selfish; they had a mission to see to, and Inuyasha wasn't at his strongest when he was split. It didn't help that her dirty thoughts were miffed that they'd miss out on seeing through a few fantasies she couldn't experience otherwise. _'I can't ask that of Inuyasha! He'd probably be horrified!'_

Instead, she put on her best smile and told the hanyou, "That's great! I'm sure you'll be glad to be one person again."

"I'll always have both sides, Kagome. Even on my human nights they'll be there. It'll be nice to get back on the road to finishing off Naraku, but I'm not focused on that." Inuyasha pulled Kagome close and whispered in her ear. "Right now I'm more interested in making your dreams come true."

Before Kagome could ask what he meant, Inuyasha pushed the bedroom door open. She was nudged forward by the hand on the small of her back. "What's going on?" She had an inkling of a hope, but it was a fool's hope. There was no way Inuyasha-

"I might have divulged your fantasies," Human Inuyasha said from his seat at her desk. "I hope you don't mind."

"Feh! Course she doesn't mind!" Youkai Inuyasha was stretched across the bed. He sat up, grinning devilishly. "Even you ought to be able to tell that, Human."

Kagome's face had gone completely red as they spoke, and it wasn't until she heard Inuyasha shut the door that it hit her. They were serious. She was nudged forward again as his counterparts rose from their seats. "Hang on-"

"This is what you wanted, wasn't it?" Inuyasha stood behind her, and while he couldn't see her face, he could smell her apprehension. Had he been wrong? What was it that she was expecting? To be passed around while they watched? He had taken that idea away as soon as they had agreed to this. It wouldn't be so much for her pleasure in that situation as it would for them. "You know that we wouldn't push you into anything you didn't want."

"Besides," Human Inuyasha took one of her hands and brought it to his lips. "Tonight is about you, Kagome."

She felt a light nip on her other wrist by Youkai Inuyasha. "And we intend on making you see stars."

Kagome felt her knees shake as three sets of hands took to removing her clothes. Every now and then she'd feel lips dance across her bare skin, and she'd shiver in delight. She wasn't sure which one led her to the bed, but she felt herself leaning back against two bare chests. When Inuyasha settled before her on his stomach, her breath hitched. "Inuyasha…"

"We told you, mate," Youkai Inuyasha licked the shell of her ear as his hands snaked around to massage her breasts. "Tonight is all about you."

Kagome's head fell back as the clawed fingers slowly massaged her. Blunt fingertips traced a path down her stomach and disappeared between her thighs. Her hips tried to shift to guide his touch, but Human Inuyasha was in no hurry. Not when the hanyou in front of her was taking his time caressing her inner thighs.

Inuyasha had to slip his arms underneath Kagome, holding her hips down. He paused as her arousal increased; restraining himself was going to be harder than he thought! When it was only the two of them, it was difficult enough not to forget himself. He opted to press a kiss to the back of her knee, following it with a lick. Kagome had made an interesting noise in response, so he repeated the action on her other leg. He'd have to remember that one.

Youkai Inuyasha continued to caress her breasts, taking advantage of sitting on the side where he had easy access to the mark. The hanyou had done well; it was placed in such a way that it could be reached from the front or behind without strain. He traced the mark with his tongue once before covering it with his mouth and growling lowly.

Between the touch of the mark and the vibrations Kagome almost lost it right then. She had gasped, fighting against Inuyasha's grip to move. Human Inuyasha's hand moved again, tickling the inside of her thigh as he caught her lips with his and muffling her next moan. Kagome's hands had been fisted in the blankets beneath her, trying to hold on. Her fantasies had never been this intense, and she wasn't sure if she could take much more. When Inuyasha's breath against her hip got her attention, she tried to focus on his voice.

"Are you alright, Kagome?"

She wasn't able to answer without it coming out in breathy moans. It didn't help that Youkai Inuyasha kept pinching her nipples when she started to speak. "I'm… ugh… oh-! I'm… oh gods… I'm… wonderful- _OH!_" Kagome wanted to tell the youkai to either let up on her breasts or the mark, but she lost the ability to speak when Inuyasha tasted her. No matter how many times, she didn't think she'd ever get used to it. Her hands let go of the blankets; she needed to touch in return. She didn't care what as her hands reached out.

Both the youkai and human felt Kagome shift between them. Each grasped one of her hands as she squeezed, arching her back when Inuyasha flicked his tongue. Youkai Inuyasha spared a glance at the human, who seemed to share a similar thought. If their mate was going to present herself, who were they to refuse?

Kagome thought that she had been prepared for this. She really thought she could handle it. She had really underestimated how…thorough…Inuyasha could be. His counterparts had been kissing and nipping at the skin on her neck and shoulders, up until she reached out for them. What she hadn't expected was for both of them to lean down and pay the same attention to her breasts.

Kagome swore loudly as her thighs closed together on reflex. Inuyasha's hands moved from her hips to hold her thighs open. She hadn't hurt him, fortunately; his ears had twitched, tickling her thighs, and she let her legs relax. He growled against her, unable to keep from smirking as she swore again.

Oh yes, she was close.

Kagome tightened her grip on the hands that held hers. Her head fell back between the youkai and human's shoulders as she felt that familiar coil within her become even more tense. "Oh-! Inu… Inu… yasha…" she breathed, "I'm… I can't…"

That was all the encouragement the three needed. Her eyes rolled back as the sensations increased. Not to be outdone by his counterparts, Inuyasha tightened his hold on Kagome's thighs as he teased her with fervor.

It was too much.

Later, Kagome would apologize for the scream that tore through her as she came. Inuyasha's ears were ringing, and he was even more thankful they had the house to themselves. Still, he couldn't help but feel smug that it was him who had brought out that sound. He slowly cleaned her as her body relaxed, savoring the result. When her legs stopped twitching, Inuyasha scooted forward and dropped his chin on her hip, watching her.

"Oh… oh _gods_…" Kagome tried to take a deep breath. "That was…"

"Good?" Youkai Inuyasha asked. Both him and Human Inuyasha had reclined against the pillows, bringing Kagome to rest against them.

She managed a snort. "Better. I saw stars." Kagome lifted her head and caught Inuyasha grinning from ear to ear. How he could look both cute and devilishly handsome at the same time was beyond her. "Does that amuse you, dog boy?"

"On the contrary, I'm quite proud that I could please my mate."

Kagome bit her lip as she smiled, hoping she didn't look as goofy as she felt, not that he'd care. "Thank you, Inuyasha." She shifted to look at his counterparts as she added, "for indulging me." She didn't have to add that it was a silly fantasy to have in the first place. That he had been willing to follow through with it amazed her.

"Whatever you want," Inuyasha replied, meaning it. If his mate asked, he'd give her the world. He had been about to tell her this, when he felt the familiar pulse come over him.

It must have shown on his face, because Kagome's voice changed to concern. "What's wong?"

Human Inuyasha reached over and tilted her chin so he could kiss her. "It's the new moon," he told her, before shifting out from under her to sit up on the bed. He felt the pulse again and looked at his hands, then to the hanyou.

As Inuyasha's features began to shift, the human counterpart next to him faded. It was odd; he half-expected to feel something different this time as he became human for the night. He stared down at his blunt fingernails, for once not being upset about his night of weakness. It meant that he was returning to normal, or as normal as could be for a hanyou.

Getting the wave of memories and experiences from his human side with the merge was a bonus he hadn't anticipated.

The youkai underneath Kagome seemed to pick up on this realization. "Just wait until morning," he told the hanyou-turned-human. "You won't be able to handle it."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: This is the other chapter that's been heavily edited for this site. Want to read all the dirty bits as they were meant to be read? It's on AO3 with an explicit rating. You'll see what I mean...**

* * *

"What's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "What did you do to Kagome?"

The fact that he was still laying between her legs glaring daggers up at the youkai did little to emphasize his displeasure. Kagome wiggled around into a sitting position; Inuyasha's breath on her hip tickled, and if they were going to have it out she wanted to be able to get out of the way. "He's just messing with you, Inuyasha. He didn't do-"

"Anything that you wouldn't do," Youkai Inuyasha finished.

That still didn't ease Inuyasha's mind, but Kagome was moving off the bed and his focus shifted to her. She didn't bother to cover herself as she stooped to collect her clothes, only to toss them in the clothing bin. She opened the closet and pulled out a tank top and shorts first and had just opened the drawer for her panties when he spoke. He hadn't meant to say it out loud. "Don't bother with those. You wouldn't be wearing them long, anyway."

Kagome was surprised her blush didn't reach her toes. She turned, expecting the youkai to be grinning, but he was just as shocked.

"There's hope for you yet," Youkai Inuyasha told the human proudly.

* * *

"So what did you go to the store for?" Youkai Inuyasha rattled the plastic bag that was left on the kitchen table. Kagome had insisted that they eat something for supper, and he had suggested _her_ for supper. Inuyasha chucked a pair of pants at his head, not finding it as funny as she did. When her stomach growled moments later, she had been all but carried downstairs.

Kagome was too busy chopping vegetables to see him upend the bag on the table, but the loud clunking noise made her cringe. _'At least they're plastic bottles.'_ "I remembered I needed to get some more shampoo, cause I'm nearly out, and while I was there I picked up some moisturizer-"

Youkai Inuyasha flipped the cap back on the unfamiliar bottle. It was filled with clear liquid and didn't have much of a smell, but what fragrance there was, was sweet. He couldn't read the label's modern writing, but he knew Kagome enough to know that these kinds of things she bought usually had a stronger smell. "Is this what you're talking about?"

She turned to see the youkai holding up a bottle. "Yeah, that's the-" Kagome frowned, taking the bottle and studying it. "-massage oil."

"Is that not the same thing?"

"Well – I mean, it _could_ work, but – but this isn't what I meant to buy!" Kagome wanted to scream in frustration. As energized as her body had felt, her mind must not have been as sharp to catch the mistake. Chances were that someone put it back in the wrong place, but she'd been careless, and now she was stuck with massage oil instead of the shea butter lotion she wanted!

Inuyasha didn't understand why she was upset. "What's the difference?" He took the cut vegetables and put them in the skillet with some canola oil.

Kagome started to boil water for rice as she tried to explain the difference. "The oil… well, it can be absorbed in the skin, but it will make it really slick too."

She missed seeing the youkai tip the open bottle into his palm, sampling said oil. He closed the bottle and set it on the table, then rubbed his palms together. Kagome had been right, it was slick, almost like- A grin nearly split his face at the thought. "You could still get some use out of this, mate."

"What are you talking about?"

Youkai Inuyasha rubbed his hands together faster, making a squelching noise. "I think you know."

"No, I don't know."

"You said it yourself. This oil makes things slick. I can think of _one_ thing you've mentioned, Ka-go-me."

She shivered at the way he said her name. _'Why does he do that?'_ Her mind was spinning, trying to recall anything she might have told him that he'd think the massage oil could be used for. Kagome had fortunately gotten the plated food to the table when it occurred to her just _what_ he referred to. "Y-yeah, nice try," she tried to play off her blush and not sound disappointed. "That won't be happening."

"What?" Inuyasha looked between them.

"It's nothing-" Kagome started to speak.

"Our mate wants to be shared in another way," Youkai Inuyasha cut her off, waggling his eyebrows for emphasis. "At the same time."

Inuyasha almost choked on his rice. It hadn't taken him long to catch up with the youkai's hints. "Are you out of your mind, Youkai!?"

"It's not a big deal, Inuyasha-"

"That would hurt Kagome!" He had heard…things…growing up, usually eavesdropping on groups of men during their travels, so he knew just what his youkai side was implying. Nothing in the stories he had heard ever mentioned how the woman felt in the situation, but if he had to guess it wouldn't be pleasant. No way in hell did he want to do anything that would hurt her!

"Not if we used that," the youkai pointed at the bottle with his chopsticks.

"I don't expect-"

Both forms of Inuyasha turned to look at her at the same time. Kagome steeled herself against the stares as she spoke. "Just because your youkai side even brought it up doesn't mean that it has to happen, Inuyasha. They call them fantasies for a reason. What you did for me earlier was better than any fantasy I've dreamed, and I think it was really sweet that you planned to surprise me with it. It's just a silly fantasy, and I don't expect you to bring all of them to life because I have them. I don't want you to do anything that you're not comfortable with."

Inuyasha watched Kagome as she went back to eating. "It's…not that," he stated slowly. "I don't want to hurt you, and I don't want you to think I'm pushing you into anything because _he_ had to run his mouth."

"Oi!" Youkai Inuyasha glared at Inuyasha as he slurped loudly from his glass.

Kagome watched the exchange and wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Here she was, having dinner with her husband/mate and his youkai side, discussing a fantasy that she had had for at least a year like it might actually happen. _'And I thought collecting jewel shards had it's moments!'_ "You're…not against the idea?" She wasn't about to get her hopes up. It still never hurt to ask.

Inuyasha blushed as he tried to form his answer, but the youkai had a question of his own. "When you've visited this fantasy, has there ever been a time when the other man wasn't one of our forms?"

"No! It's always been just you, Inuyasha." _'Hell no. I couldn't imagine anyone else being there. Inuyasha's been the only guy I've ever had these kinds of thoughts about!'_

Youkai Inuyasha made a poor attempt at hiding his grin. "How about that? Our mate has only ever dreamt about us in such a manner."

"You know wording it like that doesn't hide the fact that you're gloating."

"Don't say it like that, mate. I'm proud to be your only choice-"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. His youkai side didn't have an ounce of shame. But, if he was honest with himself, hearing Kagome say that was a boost to his self-esteem. It had never occurred to him that she could have envisioned someone else with them in the act until the youkai brought it up. The idea that Koga or that Hobo kid could have been a possibility made his stomach turn. He had a hard enough time accepting that his human and youkai sides were giving his mate affection because he was a selfish little shit. If she had said otherwise… he shook his head to clear it of the thought. "Kagome… would you like… you know," he gestured between himself and the youkai, "to explore that… idea?"

Kagome looked surprised. "You…mean that?"

"Yeah." Great. Now he was blushing again. But would another opportunity like this ever present itself? He had no idea. "Only if you really want to. And if we started and you wanted to change your mind, it wouldn't bother me." And now he was rambling.

"Inuyasha…does this…make you nervous?"

"Keh! N-no! Don't be ridiculous!"

"It's not something either of us are familiar with," Youkai Inuyasha admitted with no hint of teasing. Having only picked up details from misogynistic travelers in his time, it wasn't enough to go by to feel confident. As enticing as the idea was, he wanted to please his mate more than seek his own pleasure in the act.

Fortunately, Kagome understood. "We'll learn together. I only know a little bit, and most of that came from books."

* * *

With dinner eaten and the kitchen cleaned up, the atmosphere in the room turned awkward quick.

It appeared to only get worse as they retreated to her bedroom. Kagome held the bottle of massage oil in her hands as she stared at the bed. She glanced down at the bottle, really reading the label for the first time. '_Grapeseed oil. At least it's absorbent, so it's not a total waste if this doesn't work._' But the dirty part of her mind desperately wanted it to work. Even just once.

Inuyasha and his youkai side stood on either side of her, waiting. It was going to have to be her to make the first move, it seemed. He had said that they were going to go at her pace, after all. "How…" Inuyasha looked uneasy at the bed. None of the stories he heard ever explained the mechanics. "How do we… do this?"

A smack came from the youkai, who slapped his clawed hand over his face. "I think that this has to be the strangest thing ever said before sex."

"It wouldn't be us if it weren't strange," Kagome grinned. She was starting to relax now. "Inuyasha, would you feel better if your youkai were behind me? I was thinking that I could be above you- Inuyasha?"

The hanyou-turned-human groaned, adjusting himself as she had talked. "Sorry," he blushed. "I just started imagining what you said." His body was already on edge, and everything about Kagome in that moment made him want her right then.

Youkai Inuyasha knew what he felt. Kagome's hair hadn't been combed since she left for the store earlier. All that covered their view of her body was a thin cotton tank and shorts that hugged her curves. If he stared long enough he could see the various love bites left across her skin. And if her appearance weren't enough to get him hard, knowing that she carried his scent inside and out did.

"Then why are we standing around?" Youkai Inuyasha grasped Kagome's hips and moved behind her. He hooked his thumbs into the waistband and tugged, dropping to his knees. Unable to help himself, he nipped her right cheek, making her jump and part her legs further.

Inuyasha distracted Kagome with a kiss as he reached for the hem of her tank top. When he pulled back, she visibly pouted as she raised her arms to remove the top. Sure, he could have ripped it off, but he also didn't want the beads used. He made up for pulling back by dipping his head to give attention to her breasts. Kagome had no complaints with that.

Youkai Inuyasha shifted to sit on the floor, repressing a groan at her scent. It would be so easy to take control, and he knew it. Youkai Inuyasha inhaled deeply as he gripped her hips again. _'Kagome wouldn't be happy if I did that,'_ he reminded himself. _'On the other hand…'_

Kagome's head fell back as Inuyasha lavished attention to her breasts. She could feel the youkai move around behind her and hadn't paid much attention to the hands on her hips. Inuyasha had a way of distracting her like that. However, her attention snapped downwards as she felt the youkai reach a particularly sensitive area.

"Oh gods!" she gasped. If she wasn't ready to go before, she sure as hell was now.

The youkai only paused when he felt Kagome's hand settle between his ears, gently pushing his head back. He looked up and was instantly reminded of his position as his head knocked into Inuyasha's leg.

"If you…do that," Kagome tried to catch her breath, pushing Inuyasha back slightly as well. "I won't…make it." It was then that she noticed that she was the only one of the three naked. "Undress," she added.

"Not while his junk's behind my head!" Youkai Inuyasha felt his head jerk forward suddenly. "Ow!"

"Dumbass, it's just as much you as it's me! Now get off the floor and don't act like that hurt." Inuyasha stepped back after punching the youkai in the back of the head and kicked his pants off.

"Doesn't matter, I don't want to be getting poked in the head with _that_!" He didn't think he was being unreasonable, even if it was another form of himself. He drew the line there! Youkai Inuyasha shrugged out of his pants, then stood and stretched, watching Kagome the entire time. Her gaze swept up and down his form approvingly, until she realized he was watching. "Come now, 'Gome," he teased, "it ain't like you've seen me for the first time."

Kagome turned away, pushing Inuyasha back until his legs met the side of the bed. He quickly scooted into a comfortable position before Kagome perched on the edge. "So we're clear, no one's having second thoughts?" She meant it when she said she didn't want to pressure Inuyasha, but the incredulous look she was getting now said enough. She leaned forward and kissed him gently as she crawled over him on hands and knees. Youkai Inuyasha had joined them on the bed, the bottle of oil in hand. For a moment she couldn't recall even setting it down – no surprise why.

"How should we start?" Youkai Inuyasha asked, flicking the bottle cap open and closed.

Inuyasha looked up at Kagome. "It might be easier if you stay still?"

"Y-yah, that will work. Uh…you go first, Inuyasha."

Kagome felt that it was a little strange to be planning out sex, but as Inuyasha lined himself up with her entrance, it didn't take away from how good it felt. He held her hips and guided her down slowly. She leaned forward as Youkai Inuyasha's hand touched her back, and it wasn't long after that she felt the coolness of the oil against her backside.

"How much are you using?" Inuyasha felt it drip down the inside of Kagome's thigh and onto him. He was so on edge that the first drop that hit his skin made him jump.

"More than enough to make sure our mate gets the best experience." Truth was the oil was a lot thinner than he'd anticipated when he turned the bottle upside down. Youkai Inuyasha attempted to wipe the excess from Kagome, but only succeeded in spreading it further across her skin. He gave up and moved behind her instead. The slickness of the oil made both of them moan. Youkai Inuyasha leaned forward and kissed her between her shoulder blades. "Are you ready for me?" At her groan of "Gods yes!" he chuckled. "Stay relaxed," he said, pushing gently against her.

Kagome bit her lip as she felt the tip of the youkai slowly enter her. It was tight, and it felt like she was being stretched to her limits. On instinct she wanted to tense up at the intrusion, and she nearly would have if Inuyasha hadn't chosen that moment to lift his hips, surprising her. She gasped, gripping the sheets, as the human beneath her thrust upwards while the youkai behind her pushed forward. She felt more oil splash against her skin, and it felt like it was starting to get easier. Inuyasha's shallow thrusts slowed down as the youkai became fully seated within her.

The room was silent for a few minutes, save for small gasps from the three as they processed the new sensations. Finally, Kagome let out a breathy, "That's different."

Inuyasha studied her face. She was stock-still above him, face flushed and eyes squeezed shut. "Are you okay, Kagome?"

"It's… tight." She had trouble searching for the right words. "I'm fine. It's just… I don't know. I wasn't expecting it to feel like…?"

"Are you in pain, mate?" Youkai Inuyasha asked.

Kagome shook her head quickly. "I feel… stretched? Full? Something like that. It- it doesn't hurt." She smiled when she felt him kiss her back again. "Thanks for being worried about me."

"Keh, if you ain't figured that out by now…" Inuyasha shifted underneath her. Now that he was assured that Kagome was fine, he became aware rather quickly that he could feel… something… else… His eyes widened as he realized _what_ that something was.

"I take it from your expression that you came to the conclusion I did."

"That's you?!"

"Us, to be precise. I _am_ a part of you, as you said earlier." Deciding to test the waters, the youkai pulled back slightly, then pushed forward. "Did you like that, love?"

Kagome nodded vigorously. The burning, stretched feeling was still there, but she thought that was more to do with his size than anything else.

As weird as it felt to have his youkai side in this position, he was damn glad for this split. He wouldn't have been able to handle another man sharing Kagome. It took a few tries to find the right rhythm, but soon Inuyasha had timed his thrusts to match the youkai's, so they were both entering Kagome at once.

"Ugh…oh…Inuyasha…" Kagome's head dropped, pressing her face into his chest. It was too good, too much, and she knew she wouldn't be able to take much more. Her grip on the sheets was so tight, she wouldn't be surprised to find out her nails poked holes in them.

Inuyasha's thrusts upwards became faster. He held onto her hips to steady her, as her body started to drop. He was close, and knew she was as well, but he'd be damned if he came before she did. Inuyasha looked over Kagome's bowed head at his counterpart. In half a second, they made a silent agreement to push their mate over the edge. While the youkai leaned forward along the length of Kagome's back, Inuyasha moved one of his hands between them. Neither slowed their thrusts, so as not to alert her to their plan.

With her head in Inuyasha's chest, she assumed youkai Inuyasha was shifting into a better angle. Then she felt the warm breath on her neck, right above her mark. Her head jerked up to see Inuyasha's smirk as his fingers stroked her, at the same time Youkai Inuyasha placed his mouth over her mark. Kagome's body tightened from the tips of her toes to the ends of her hair as she came.

Inuyasha may have been human at the moment, but his ears still rung from her scream. It was a beautiful sound, hearing her scream his name like that. He hadn't been able to hold on as she tensed, and his shouted release was only muffled by the near-howl from the youkai. Kagome shook as they separated, collapsing on the bed between them.

"Oh…oh god…that was…that was…" Kagome lay on her back, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. When her heart slowed down and her vision could focus, she found the word. "Intense. That was…intense."

Inuyasha nodded. That had gone beyond any dirty fantasy he could come up with. He looked over at Kagome. "Are you alright? We didn't hurt you, did we?"

She shook her head, to his relief. "A little sore, but you didn't hurt me. More like a stretched muscle that I haven't used much." As what she said sunk in, she laughed. "This was better than I ever imagined, Inuyasha," she added, looking to both of them. "Thank you for indulging me."

Youkai Inuyasha traced his claws across her stomach as he turned to face her. "Anything to please you, Kagome," he purred. "Getting pleased ourselves was a bonus. After all, sharing your mate with yourself a form of self-pleasure?"

"Shut. Up." Inuyasha groaned. "I'm too exhausted to even think about that." Even if it had been strange, it had felt good, but he really wasn't up for analyzing anything about what they just did.

"I take it a second round is out of the question?"

"He's not serious, is he Inuyasha?"

"He may be the only one with youkai stamina right now, but I can tell you that he's full of shit."

"We have more oil-"

"Please," Kagome half heartedly slapped Youkai Inuyasha's chest. "Don't make me use the beads. I just got this bed." She knew he was joking, as she was. He yawned and scooted closer, draping an arm across her chest. Inuyasha had done the same, reaching across her waist.

They stayed that way most of the night. No mentions of dirty fantasies were made with intent, they simply talked. Inuyasha admitted that he had been reluctant to share, but this night had shown him that it was okay. Kagome reminded him that he had no reason to hide himself, even his fantasies. Topics changed to the youkai, who had been content to listen for once. Kagome wondered, since all forms of Inuyasha were of like mind, would the youkai be able to come forth on will alone? It was something to consider, they decided. Not that he was willing to risk his neck to test the theory, now that he had a mate to consider.

Inuyasha had blurted out the question about kids before he could stop himself. He meant to ask another time, not lying in bed buck naked after mind-blowing sex. But then Kagome had said the most wonderful thing – that she wanted a family with him. She only had a few stipulations, which he could understand. Only after they took care of Naraku, high school graduation, and holding a ceremony at the shrine for her family. To him, all of it made sense, except for the school bit. In his time she would have been in her prime for having children. She had pointed out that she was taking medicine to avoid any surprises and would continue to do so until that point in time. He was willing to wait for kids.

As dawn approached, Inuyasha felt the first signs of his body returning to it's hanyou state. A glance at the youkai told him that he knew it was time too. Kagome tried not to look sad as his hands started to fade. It's not like it was goodbye.

"I love you," Youkai Inuyasha kissed her, much like the human had before sunset. Unlike the human, he wouldn't get as many opportunities to come out. Perhaps her proposed idea wasn't as impossible as it sounded?

Kagome watched Youkai Inuyasha disappear, only to turn over and face the now-whole Inuyasha. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" The onslaught of fresh memories and sensations was startling, and if he hadn't been sitting it might've knocked him over. He looked at Kagome, raising his hand to cup her cheek. "How about you?"

"I'm fine," she leaned into his touch. "I'm a little sad our fun's come to an end though."

"What d'ya mean, 'Gome?"

"Well…you're back to normal now. Doesn't that mean we have to get back to collecting shards?"

Inuyasha laid back, pulling Kagome down with him. "We still got what, three…four days before your family comes back? I say we make the best of it." They had no leads. In a pinch, Sango and Miroku were more than capable of getting a rogue shard. "Just once, I want to be a selfish bastard."

Kagome giggled, snuggling into the crook of his arm. "And what do you want to do?"

"Right now? Sleep. You wore me out last night, wench."


	15. Chapter 15

Kagome dropped her bag next to the well. "I don't know, maybe we should wait another day."

"Your mom doesn't expect us to hang around for them to get back. She even said so," Inuyasha leaned back against the doorframe of the well house. "Anyway, you left a note."

He had a point. She just wished she could quell the nerves in her gut running rampant. She felt his arms slide around her from behind.

"You alright?"

"Yeah."

"Kagome…" Inuyasha knew she wasn't fine. The morning after, she had expected to go back within the hour. They stayed the remainder of the holiday, opting to go back to the past that afternoon. She had seemed fine up until they packed, and now she was stalling.

"Alright! Alright… What…what's everyone going to say?"

"That's what's got you like this?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes upward and prayed to every higher power to give him strength. "I doubt anyone outside our group is going to know unless we shout it from the rooftops. Any youkai we cross will know without seeing the mark, but there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Miroku will probably run his mouth, and Sango will hit him if I don't get to him first." At the sound of her laughter, Inuyasha kissed her temple. "We good now?"

"Yeah." As she climbed onto the edge of the well with Inuyasha, she knew they'd be okay.

* * *

Miroku, for once, was being good.

When Shippo announced that Inuyasha and Kagome were back, he assumed things had progressed. After the kit commented that not just Kagome's but Inuyasha's scent was also different, he knew. As soon as Shippo dove through the doorway to greet them, Kaede and Sango had fixed him with a look.

"_What?"_

"_Don't play dumb. We saw your look."_

"_My dear Sango, whatever do you mean?"_

"_It would be wise not to draw attention to Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship unless they deem it fit to speak of."_

"_Ladies, I can assure you both that I've no intention of embarrassing our friends. After all, we're all adults here. What they choose to do or not do in their personal time is their business. If they wish to share any developments, I will be respectful in my reaction."_

Okay, so the disbelieving looks he got might have been justified. He _had_ laid it on thick, but he meant every word. Even if every fiber of his being was dying to know the details of what happened in the future.

When the pair appeared in Kaede's hut, he couldn't see any physical differences. Inuyasha was one person again, they learned. It was interesting to hear that it was a gradual shift this time, but when he inquired as to how they spent their time in the future, both shut down. Kagome brushing off the question by saying that she spent it catching up on schoolwork felt too forced.

It wasn't long before Sango wanted Kagome alone for "girl talk", which left Miroku alone with Inuyasha. Shippo had gone to assist Kaede in the field with herb-collecting, which gave the monk the perfect opportunity.

"How are you really feeling, Inuyasha?" Instead of going back to the shared hut, they had spent some time walking the outskirts of the village, away from nosy villagers who thrived on gossip.

"What are you talking about?"

"You've been split three ways for a month. You don't feel…off, now that you're back to normal?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Feh. You make it sound like I got used to seeing my human and youkai sides run around."

"But you did come to an understanding, otherwise you wouldn't have changed back."

"Yeah." Inuyasha stopped walking, dropping down to sit under the closest tree. "It was Kagome," he added, "It's always been Kagome. I just didn't have the balls to tell her."

Miroku sat down next to him, laying his staff on the grass. "Does she know?"

A snort and a smile crossed the hanyou's face before he could stop himself. "Oh yeah. She knows alright."

"I don't wish to pry, Inuyasha, but out of curiosity…did you both…profess your feelings…intimately?"

Miroku half expected to get hit, if not chewed out for such a question. To see Inuyasha's eyes widen and a blush to quickly cover his face was interesting. _'So they have,'_ he thought to himself. There would be other times to tease Inuyasha, he decided. He clapped a hand on his shoulder and told him, "I am happy for you, my friend."

* * *

Whereas Miroku had been reserved, Sango was not. Kagome should have seen it coming when Sango led her down to the stream to bathe. They had settled into the water, and Sango must have spotted the mark, because she asked, "So…how was it?"

Kagome blushed, slapping a hand over her mark on reflex. "What?"

The slayer couldn't contain her grin. "You and Inuyasha completed the mating ritual, right?" She moved closer, grabbing Kagome's wrist to pull it away. "I want to see the mark. It's not every day I get to see such a thing."

As she pulled her wet hair over her left shoulder, Kagome replied. "It was wonderful," she gushed. Before she knew it, she had given a nondescript recount of what they got up to during their absence. Sango had wanted to know her dirty secrets, and she delivered.

A small part of Sango regretted asking in the first place, because she wasn't sure how she was going to look Inuyasha in the eye now. "I had no idea that Inuyasha could be so…" Words escaped her.

Kagome knew what she meant. "I know," she laughed. "He told me to wait to give him my answer when he told me everything about the ritual."

"How long did you wait?"

"The next day."

Both had dissolved into laughter after that. Kagome was glad that Sango had brought her out here to catch up. She hadn't realized how much she missed these talks, but then again… she felt her face heat up as she remembered _why_ she had been distracted.

A soul collector breezed past her cheek as they were dressing, and any heat that was still in her face drained with the movement. _'Why do I feel guilty?'_ she thought as she pulled her shirt on. _'Inuyasha chose me, or was it his youkai that made the connection first?'_ As Kikyo stepped out of the trees that overlooked them, Kagome told herself that she had nothing to apologize for.

"Has Inuyasha discovered the solution to his problem?"

Kagome arched an eyebrow. "You haven't spoken to him?" It was weird that she'd come find her when she could just as easily look for him.

Kikyo smirked. "I felt that it would be simpler to ask the solution herself."

'_Don't blush, dammit!'_ "He did." Absently she scratched her shoulder that carried the mark. She missed the way the undead miko's gaze followed the action, nor the look when she caught a glimpse of the mark.

'_I__t is true,' _Kikyo thought. _'I thought that I would be the one to change his heart. I see now that had I lived, it would not have been.'_ She knew what that mark meant, and while she knew that she could never have lain with a youkai, it was a reminder of what she'd never get to have herself. And that sucked, to put it bluntly. _'My purpose is to stop Naraku, or I'll never find peace. My time looking for what I cannot attain is at an end.'_

Sango had finished dressing, observing the silence between the mikos. _'Kikyo looks…sad? I guess I can't blame her for that. She did miss out on a lot.'_ "Um…" she fished for something to say. "If you're looking for Inuyasha, I'm sure he's still in the village with Miroku."

"That is not necessary," Kikyo said softly. "I only wished to learn of his current state." She turned to leave, only to pause and speak to Kagome. "Is he happy?"

Kagome was surprised by the question. _'Is this the Kikyo that Inuyasha once knew? Kaede said that she used to be so kind.' _"He is," she answered. "I think Inuyasha's relieved…to be able to solve the problem. Like it's given him a peace of mind." There, that didn't sound like she was gloating that she got to sleep with him, did it? She hoped not.

"That is good. I am…happy to hear that. It would not do to face Naraku with a clouded mind."

'_And there's the Kikyo I know,'_ Kagome thought, watching her disappear into the trees. She turned to Sango, who had begun to collect their belongings. "Was that strange to you?"

"A little. I think she understands that she's not Inuyasha's priority anymore and has accepted it."

Kagome grabbed the remainder and they started back for the hut. "That may be, but I think he's always going to have a place for her in his heart. Inuyasha did love her, and I think she loved him to an extent, even if it wasn't the kind of love they were hoping for."

"I'm surprised, Kagome. I figured knowing that would upset you."

Kagome shrugged. Once upon a time it would have crushed her, but now… "I know that Inuyasha loves me, and I'm his mate."

"So no more getting jealous if she summons him?"

"Weeelll…" the miko drew out, winking. "I might say it once, just for old time's sake." She laughed at Sango's expression. "No really, Inuyasha would have to make me really mad before he left or when he came back before I would do that. It might be funnier to watch him squirm when I do nothing, actually."

* * *

Inuyasha might have given away more in his actions than he ever said in words to Miroku. When the girls returned to the hut, Inuyasha had shot to his feet to meet Kagome halfway, pulling her to him as he returned to his seat. Now that they were back together, it was easy to see the differences. Kagome didn't threaten to sit Inuyasha when he got into it with Shippo, and he was quick to let it go and ignore the kit's baiting. Inuyasha was more physical around Kagome. He had kissed her cheek when he pulled her to his side, but it was the small touches that said a lot. Normally he'd keep his hands tucked away in the confines of his sleeves.

A kettle of water had been set to boil for ramen as they talked, catching up in detail about the things that had been missed. Of course, neither felt that their private time was meant to be public – Kagome would have to tell him that Sango knew – they did confess that they were mated.

"So that's why both of you smell different!" Shippo blurted out.

"Yep, and I can't wait until we cross paths with Koga again," Inuyasha stated proudly. It would do the ookami some good to have a reality check.

"We're really happy for you both," Sango said to Kagome mostly. With Kikyo's appearance earlier, she forgot to tell her.

"Does this mean you're staying here?" Shippo asked.

"It does," Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "As long as the well is open, I want to visit my family from time to time, but yes. My home is here."

"Perhaps we should plan to build a separate hut then?" Miroku proposed. "After all, I imagine you'll want to start a family-"

"When we've destroyed Naraku-"

"-And I've finished school. I also told Mama that we'd have a ceremony at our shrine before that." Kagome leaned into his shoulder and asked him, "Have you told them about _that thing_ we talked about?"

"What are you – oh!" Inuyasha rubbed his neck. "Something came up when I was split. Now that all sides of me are in sync, I'm wondering if it's possible to tap into my youkai side when I'm not about to die."

"You mean intentionally letting him out?" Sango asked. "I can't say I've heard if such a thing is possible…" She wondered if a trip to see Totosai and Myoga wasn't in order.

"We've seen Inuyasha do a number of things that didn't seem possible," Miroku pointed out.

The hanyou started to look proud again, until Shippo mentioned "Sure, like getting up after a long string of sits." After that he just looked annoyed.

"No really," the slayer nodded to Kagome. "Shippo has a point. Without Kagome, a lot of things wouldn't have been possible. We'd have likely never met and become friends. You would still be pinned to the Sacred Tree. And even if you weren't, you probably wouldn't be as strong as you are."

"And to travel five hundred years from the future, such a thing should be impossible."

Kagome lifted the steaming kettle and prepared the ramen cups. Now that she thought about it, was it really being Kikyo's reincarnated soul that brought her back? "What are you guys getting at?"

"You're an impossible girl, Kagome," Miroku said. "You do the impossible without even realizing it, which allows those around you to accomplish things they didn't think possible otherwise. With you by his side, I'd be amazed at what Inuyasha couldn't do."

Inuyasha slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her back to him. "You hear that wench? You're my impossible girl."

Kagome settled against his warmth. "I can live with that," she said with a smile.

* * *

**A/N: And that's it guys! Did you enjoy it? **

**This is the first time I've stepped this far out of my comfort zone when writing, so believe me when I say that I surprised myself rereading my own fic. It makes me sad that it's over now, after planning and writing the last couple of months. **

**What do you think about a sequel of sorts? It'd likely be a oneshot, and I'm not sure when I'd write it. There's only a niggling thought there now, but if y'all would be interested, I'd see what I can do. **

**I have another story in the works (among many) so don't think I'm disappearing into the void after this. I haven't had this much fun writing in a long time, so something good's come out of 2019 :)**


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